Ferrer-Ribiere (France) Empreinte du Temps 2005
Domaine Ferrer-Ribiere is a strictly biodynamic estate in the Roussillon, run by Denis Ferrer and Bruno Ribiere, that makes a whole bunch of fascinating and often quirky wines. This comes from a parcel of 128-year-old Carignan vines, and is made by carbonic maceration. I loved the 2004 vintage of this wine, and this 2005 has a similar, perhaps slightly more dense, dark, concentrated blackcurrant and berry fruit. But there’s a lovely blue/black glossiness with hints of Parma violet and white pepper. The palate has a firm, juicy structure, with a massive, dry concentration of fruit. There’s a liquoricy grip of tannins too, and along with a taut acid structure, this is a serious, complex wine with layered complexity that unravels slowly. 9.15, Yapp Brothers.