Domaine Martin Côtes du Rhône-Villages Sainte Cécile 2019

Full of velvety black fruit with notes of herbal garrigue, Sainte Cecile is a superb, step-up Côtes du Rhône Villages from the Martin family. The domaine was founded in 1905 by Julien Martin, with just 5 hectares all in the superior Plan de Dieu. This subregion lies sandwiched between Gigondas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in the southern Rhône and, like its famous neighbours, its soil is strewn with the same large stones. These help achieve super ripeness by absorbing heat in the day and radiating it at night. The result is some of the finest rich, ripe and spicy fruit wines outside the southern Rhône's priciest appellations. Add in the age of the vines – 50 years – and the small yields in a great vintage, and Sainte Cecile is a red to snap up.