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. Gregory Hecht and Francois Bannier's - for more about whose remarkable partnership, consult my account in issue 183 - are living up to the challenge they set themselves, namely to render, as negociants of a unique hands-on labor-intensity, wines that can stand comparison with those of each respective appellations top estates. They continue to focus on the same four appellations (for an account of their Cotes du Roussillon cuvees as well as an inaugural Maury, see the report on Roussillon that appears in this issue), although several other projects have emerged, including an Appellation Languedoc bottling that serves not only as an intro-level wine but as an outlet for fruit that does not make the cut for their four other dry red wines. Remarkably, U.S. retail prices for these extraordinary values have remained virtually unchanged since they first appeared in our markets - except for the couple of instances where they have been lowered! (I won't repeatedly note and literally underline references to value in the notes that follow; if you compare them with my scores and the prevailing prices, you ought hardly to need help drawing the appropriate consequences, however jaw-dropping!) "Selection was an interesting but especially tough job in 2008," notes Gregory Hecht, "because there was a lot of mildew pressure for growers to deal with in a relatively cool year with only two real heat spikes." The results illustrate precisely the distinctive virtues of this vintage. "Two thousand nine is obvious in its generosity and power," opines Hecht, "whereas 2010 is more nicely-dressed and elegant, with a crisp edge." The down-side of the enormously promising and already irresistible youngest offspring at this address is that low yields - when combined with Hecht and Bannier's stringent principles of selection and grower-loyalty - meant that the total volume of wine available under their label had to suffer a significant dip.Importer: Frederick Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700

A succulent, medium-weight red, oozing with dark plum and boysenberry flavors accented by notes of hot stone. Features details of olive and savory herbs on the long and spicy finish, with hints of paprika. Drink now through 2018. 4,500 cases made.??–KM??Region: France / Languedoc-Roussillon / Minervois Select to Add