The 2019 Ventoux Quintessence was presented as a representative sample. A blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache, aged mostly in barrique, it will be blended and bottled this winter. On the nose, it delivers fresh blueberry and plum notes, while the palate is marked by crisp acids, but also ripe, creamy tannins and great length and intensity.

A Syrah-heavy cuvée, the 2019 Ventoux Quintessence is a rich, medium to full-bodied effort offering lots of darker, blackberry-like fruit as well as peppery herbs, chalky minerality, and hints of burning embers. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, this concentrated, nicely structured Syrah that will benefit from 2-4 years in the cellar and shine for over a decade.

Lavish notes of violet, black plum and raspberry preserves perfume this voluminous 80/20 blend of Syrah and Grenache sourced from high-elevation vineyards at the foot of Mont Ventoux. The Quintessence is a consistently fantastic wine at an approachable price point that balances intense fruit ripeness with a firm undertow of salty, stony minerality. A powerful but freshly balanced wine that's at peak now-2029 but likely to hold further.

The dark cherry and plum flavors are sleek and defined, framed with a judicious toast accent and inlaid with dried anise, black tea and singed sandalwood notes on the finish. Syrah and Grenache. Drink now through 2024. 9,600 cases made, 330 cases imported.