Lithe yet expressive, with a mix of red berry, black pepper and violet flavors. Offers incense and graphite that weave with a charred smoky note, with a salty undercurrent. Reveals grippy tannins on the medium finish. Grenache and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2027. 350 cases made, 80 cases imported.??–KB??Region: France / Southern Rh?ne / Rasteau Select to Add

Brusset is based in Cairanne, but the 2019 Rasteau La Bastide is also a notable effort. While it lacks the liveliness and vibrancy of the Cairanne bottlings, it's a broad, ripe, flavorful wine that should provide plenty of short term pleasure. Plum and chocolate nuances mark the nose and palate of this medium to full-bodied wine, while the tannins are plush and soft, leaving a creamy impression on the palate. Drink it over the next 3-4 years.

From a three-hectare parcel Brusset purchased in 2012, the 2018 Rasteau La Bastide is a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre. A fifth of the blend is aged in oak but in three-year-old barrels. Leather and garrigue notes accent raspberry fruit on the nose, while the palate is medium to full-bodied, velvety and expansive. I find it a bit less complex than the Cairanne Vieilles Vignes, but it's still outstanding juice.

The 2017 Rasteau La Bastide is ripe and chocolaty, full-bodied and creamy-textured. A blend of Grenache and Mourvèdre, it's almost dessert-like, with a rich, velvety finish that lingers on the palate.

The 2016 Rasteau La Bastide has turned out even better than I expected. A 50-50 blend of Grenache and Mourvèdre, it's rich and full-bodied without being heavy and velvety and plush yet easy to drink. Black cherry and blackberry fruit pick up hints of licorice on the long finish.