2023 Les Terres Dubien 'Synopsis' Red Blend, Bordeaux, France

A Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon blend, about 50/50 in the 2021 vintage, from vines planted in the 1960s on limestone soils in Saint-Yzans, in the northern Médoc near the Gironde estuary. The old vines come from massal selection and are farmed biodynamically, then vinified with native yeasts, aged about 18 months in old barrels and amphora, and bottled without fining or filtration. The producer's notes for the 2021 describe blackcurrant, blackberry and plum, with cedar, graphite and a hint of forest floor. The structure is fine and deep, with well-integrated tannins and balanced acidity that suit aging. Pour it with duck, lamb or game.