A selection of the estate’s oldest Grenache vines, the Banyuls ‘Vieilles Vignes’ 2000 was hand-harvested and vinified traditionally: crushed by foot and fermented in stainless steel with native yeasts, it was aged for 10 years in 650-liter oak demi-muids before bottling. Always limited, a small portion of its production was set aside for inclusion in the estate’s library of its most important wines, a practice inaugurated by Dr. André Parcé in 1947. Full details

Harvested from the Domaine du Mas Blanc’s oldest Grenache vines, the Banyuls ‘Collection’ 2000 is a special subset of its Banyuls ‘Vieilles Vignes.’ Hand-harvested and trodden by foot, it was fermented in stainless steel with native yeasts and aged in 650-liter oak demi-muids for 10 years. A single 225-liter barrel was then diverted from bottling and set aside for continued elevage as part of the estate’s library of its most important wines. Dubbed ‘Collection,’ only three vintages have been previously released to the public. Full details

One of three single-vineyard Collioure “crus” produced by Domaine du Mas Blanc, ‘Les Junquets’ comes from a steeply-terraced, west-facing parcel of the region’s celebrated schist soils. Vinification is traditional: Old-vine Syrah and a small section of Marsanne and Roussanne (which together comprise 10% of the blend) are hand-harvested from miniscule yields, trodden by foot and fermented in stainless steel with native yeasts. Matured in old Bordeaux barrels for at least one year, this wine boasts great dimension and savory mineral depths, with notes of cassis, smoked venison and garrigue herbs underscored by a telltale iodine signature. Enjoy with all manner of roasted game, porcini mushroom or risotto. Capable of continued improvement over the next 10-12 years. Full details

One of three single-vineyard Collioure “crus” produced by Domaine du Mas Blanc, ‘Clos du Moulin’ comes from a 1.8-hectare plot, southeast-facing, on the banks of the river Baillaury. The soil is schist mixed with gravel and sand. Vinification is traditional: Mourvèdre and Counoise (10%) are hand-harvested from goblet vines, trodden by foot, and fermented in stainless steel with native yeasts. Matured in old Bordeaux barrels for at least one year, ‘Clos du Moulin’ is simultaneously dark and brooding, carnal and oceanic. Notes of blackberry, dried blood, cured tobacco, tapenade, violet and bay leaf speak to the grandeur and savagery of this unique terroir. Enjoy with spit-fired lamb, smoked duck and truffles. Capable of continued improvement over the next 12-15 years. Full details

The H&H Boal Single Harvest 2000 is a colheita bottling: an early-bottled vintage wine. Atypical for the house, this is reserved and surprisingly understated, imbued with detail and quiet confidence. Clove, cherry, brown sugar and rancio notes beckon from the glass. In the mouth, it’s supple and focused, a rich caress of pixilated Boal flavors enjoined to a long and refined finish. One of the classic white grape varieties of Madeira, Boal is meio doce: medium-sweet, thought to offer Madeira lovers the ideal combination of elegance and richness. Full details

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