Le Briseau, Côt et Coeur

100% Côt (aka Malbec), grown on clay-limestone soil, hand-harvested and fermented with indigenous yeast. Foot-treaded and rested in stainless for 24 months. While the nose can be a touch volatile, it is ensconced in enough beautiful red fruit and lavender to spare it from crossing into "the dark side." The palate is round and supple, with similar red plum and cherry notes, but with a touch of cocoa and iron. The end lifts you brighter, with an orange peel note that continues magnificently.