Wine of the week: a heroic red with a thrilling finish

2014 Domaine de Moncalms Rouge, Terrasses du Larzac, Vin de Pays de l'Hrault, France (£27.50, Yapp Brothers, 01747-860423; Yapp.co.uk).

I popped into Yapp the other day to load up with some Loire and Rhne classics. The exemplary team pushed a few bottles into my hand to taste at my leisure. Every one was superb, and the fast movers will pop up in my Daily Mail Weekend column, but there were two heroic reds that are so "MoneyWeek Style", it's incredible.

My featured red is a 60% syrah, 20% grenache and 20% mourvdre blend, made by Frdric Pourtali. His father founded their estate in 1998 in the hamlet of Montcalms, on the edge of the Massif Central, a decade after superstar neighbour Grange des Pres brought stardust to the area. Frdric trained with des Pres and Alain Graillot (heroic Crozes-Hermitage estate, also a Yapp wine) and I can tell you that this wine is jaw-droppingly serious.

MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Unlike many, it starts off so calmly that it is like drinking a thriller as you page through each chapter, the tension and flavour build with drama and conviction, and you are left panting with joy when the wine is fully open and it parades its full array of swarthy power. One other wine not to miss is 2013 Hermitage, Maison Lombard, J&E Montagnon (£42.00). Only 1,000 bottles were made of this budget Hermitage by the dashing Julien Montagnon, of Brzme fame, and it is utterly delicious.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com).

Matthew Jukes has been the MoneyWeek wine correspondent since 2006.

He has worked in the UK wine business for well over three decades and during this time has written 14 wine books. His four highly-acclaimed, annual wine reports – the Burgundy En Primeur Report, the Bordeaux En Primeur Report, the Piemonte Report and the 100 Best Australian Wines – are published on his website.

Matthew is a winner of the International Wine and Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year Trophy. His thoughts, recommendations and tastings notes are followed very closely by the wine world at large.