Domaine Preignes Le Vieux (France) Alicante Par Preignes 2007
This is a Vin de Pays wines from the Coteaux de Libron in Southern France made from Alicante, more commonly referred to as Alicante Bouschet, and quite common in the south of France. It is a tienturier grape, in other words it has red flesh which is highly unusual, and perhaps helps explain the vivid and deep colour of this wine. It has a certain schisty, muscular quality on the nose with masses of blue-black fruit; a really glossy, tight, deep-seated fruit quality. The palate too has a density, with no shortage of fine-grained tannin and nuances of chocolate and plum filling the mouth. There’s a lot of wine here for the money, and structure as well as copious fruit. £6.49, Majestic
