Herman Story 2021 Casual Encounters

If you’d known your traveling companion was an international spy, you wouldn’t have ordered the eight-course tasting menu. But here you are, overlooking hills of blackberry bramble and mulberry trees in the warm Golden-hour glow. A spread of candied almonds, complex ciphers, marinated Niçoise olives, Omega wristwatches, white-flower bouquets, clandes- tine daggers, suits all around with hands to their ears, Herbs de Provence, red pepper glaze, and the electricity of her lace-gloved hand on your knee. Agents are closing in, but you’ll be damned if you miss this sunset.

Composition: 47% Mourvédre, 36% Syrah, 14% Grenache, 3% Carignan

94 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate