Plums, black pepper, and rich currant jam with a savory garrigue edge. Old-vine structure shows on the palate — sandy soils keep the tannins fine and the texture lifted despite the density of the fruit. Pair with tapenade, roast lamb, or a simple weeknight steak.

Caroline Charrier trained in Burgundy before returning to the Southern Rhône, and the influence shows in the precision she brings to Grenache-dominant blends from 50-year average age vines. Font de Courtedune is a small, under-the-radar estate — this is the kind of Côtes du Rhône that earns its place on a shelf next to bottles twice the price.