This 15ha property overlooking Toulon harbour has been part of the Roux family’s ancestry for almost 230 years. It wasn’t until 1930 that André Roux decided to dedicate the land exclusively to vines, especially the ancient variety Tibouren – not widely planted outside Provence, this is an intensely aromatic black grape with a thin skin, which is notoriously difficult to grow. The family still champions Tibouren, which makes up 90% of its vineyards, and some plots are more than 50 years old. Elizabeth Gabay MW: Orange. Lots of new oak on the nose. New oak on the palate gives richness and oomph. Oranges, dried apricots, long saline mineral acidity balancing new oak. Joanna Simon: Orangey. Deep and complex nose of spice, dried peach and oak. Concentrated, complex, richly textured palate with spicy, dried-flower notes and baking bread; breadth, length and graceful mineral-fresh notes. Rod Smith MW: Oaky and slightly spicy aromas: plenty of honeyed, rich straw, baked fruit underneath. Complex, delicious and deeply flavoured with baked citrus, honey and apricot. Good balance and lovely phenolic grip on the finish. Certainly approachable now, but no hurry to drink.

Diaphanous peach skin color. A hugely complex, expansive bouquet evokes ripe, spice-accented red berries, citrus fruits, dried flowers and botanical herbs, with a saline mineral overtone. Stains the palate with vibrant, sharply focused redcurrant, strawberry, blood orange, nectarine candied lavender and honey flavors that show a hint of saltiness and superb depth to go with the wine's energy. Refuses to let up on the penetrating, seamless and mineral-driven finish, which strongly echoes the floral and pit fruit notes

Based on tibouren, with 10 percent grenache, the vines more than 60 years old, this was picked on the riper side, then fermented with ambient yeasts in 2,600-liter foudres. While those foudres are temperature controlled, the wine still tastes like it’s from another time: Dried strawberry, caramel, roasted fennel and mushroom are some of the flavors; there’s also dried orange, Fino Sherry and smoky tea. Tremendously savory and complex, it’s worth enjoying this all on its own, cellar-temperature, over the course of a few days.