Caramany Sous La Montagne 2017

A terrific granite-based Syrah for under $20? It can be done, as the 2017 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Caramany deftly illustrates. It does include about one-third Carignan, but it delivers a spicy whirlwind of raspberry and blueberry fruit, unmarked by oak yet enlivened by herbal nuances and built around a firm, granitic structure. Lovely stuff.

The 2017 Cotes Du Roussillon Villages Caramany (66% Syrah and the rest Carignan) reveals a deep purple color as well as beautiful notes of blackberries, green olive, smoke, and bacon fat. It's rich, beautifully textured, elegant, and long. It's a Northern Rhône made in the Roussillon.