Domaine Gourt de Mautens
Already aromatically open and expressive, with black pepper and juniper married with liquorice, raspberry, plum and garrigue herbs. It's full-bodied, but so lively and expressive, with keen, firm acidity, a fairly grand tannic structure and a powerful, grippy finish. Long, powerful, assertive. Very well-balanced, very fine in tannin and structure, powerful and vibrant. The alcohol is of course towards the punchy, but it doesn't taste unbalanced. Just outrageously good.
Domaine des Tours
Remarkably pale, not far off a rosé. Pure red cherry fragrance, English strawberry, sage. Light- to medium-bodied, good acidity, dry finish, very dry in fact, savoury and slightly herbal. Gentle sucrosité to the fruit, not terribly intense, quite short, but at least authentic and true to the region and producer. Basic stuff, but enough interest to make it worthwhile.