2019 Domaine de l'Ecu Syrah Love & Grapes Nobis France 750 ml

Sommeliers at some of the hottest spots in New York City had their sights fixed on the 2019 Domaine de L’Ecu Love & Grapes Nobis bottling from the moment it hit U.S. shores.

A wonder of the natural wine world, its lively freshness, energy, and clean peppery spice made it a sensation among in-the-know grape geeks, ordered nearly into extinction at the crowded dining rooms of Roberta’s, The Four Horsemen, and Corkbuzz, where it went for around $40 per botte.

Today, your best shot at drinking this Rhône prize isn’t with a reservation in Brooklyn or the Lower East Side—it’s here at Wine Access.

A Southern Rhône Syrah so instantly likeable, so approachable, and so straight-up drinkable is rare. Bold and muscular, the palate is filled with a sinewy energy and explosive notes of blackberry, peppercorn, flint, and exotic spices. Cornas-like in its rich texture and bold, inky depth, the value here is off the charts.

Many wines in this price category are mass-produced, and can come across as staid or tame. But this artisanally crafted Syrah is fun and full of vibrant life—a party in a bottle that puts a buzz in the room. Boasting insider cred at a steal, it’s the kind of bottle that will instantly boost your wine credibility whether you open it alongside duck rillettes or piping hot French fries.

That combination of playful spiritedness along with an almost fanatical dedication to craftsmanship is one you’ll find among some of the more forward-thinking, organically inclined, young winemakers in France. And it’s a personality that’s particularly embodied in Fred Niger—the rising star who’s behind this immensely popular Love & Grapes Nobis effort.

Fred’s name might be familiar to the Wine Access members who know Domaine de l’Ecu—it’s one of the Loire Valley’s most exciting estates, and Fred was handpicked to run it by Guy Bossard, the founder and a legendary pioneer in biodynamic winemaking. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate has been “deeply impressed” by Ecu, which has been devoted for over 40 years to farming organically, vinifying based on soil types, pursuing extremely low yields, and approaching winemaking with a refreshing creativity.

It was that attitude that gave birth to this Syrah bottling. When frosts and low yields lowered Domaine de l’Ecu’s volume of its star grape, Muscadet, to almost nothing, Fred teamed up with winemaking friends in other regions of France to produce some new bottlings. One of those was the Love & Grapes Nobis Syrah selection, which has become a somm favorite in its own right.

The totally charming 2019 release is 100% Syrah, culled from 30-year-old biodynamically farmed vines. Just under five acres of pristine, slightly wild vineyards outside Châteaneuf-du-Pape, Orange, and Vaison-la-Romaine produced this wine, which was fermented with indigenous yeasts and bottled unfiltered and unfined to maximize purity and freshness.

Sommeliers don’t just buy this wine for their restaurants—they buy it for their own fridges. We recommend you do the same.