(90-91+)/100
Hecht and Bannier’s 2010 Minervois is as usual Syrah-dominated, with Grenache and Carignan (whose levels had yet to be fine-tuned) filling merely supporting roles, and despite my skepticism about the Syrah-centric appellation rules and official politics in this sector of the Languedoc, one has to say that Hecht and Bannier’s bottlings make a strong case for that grape. (Mind you, a couple of their sources are growers in the La Liviniere sector whose top bottlings you will find lauded elsewhere in this report who are willing to sell-off some of their juice.) As with this team’s 2010 A.O.C. Languedoc blend – and, for that matter, so many other wines of its vintage – this combines the extra measure of glycerin and jam-like touch to its dark cherry and black raspberry fruits that we found in 2009 with a depth of mineral dimension; high-toned herbal inflections (licorice, tamarind, mint); high umami; and lift, vivacity, and infectious juiciness such as characterized 2008. This finishes with real vibrancy. US$19
