Mauro Guicheney Duras Rouge A l'abri du Monde 2020

Situated 40 miles due east of the city of Bordeaux, the Côtes de Duras is something of an in-between appellation: closely aligned with Bordeaux in its dominant grape varieties and general soil composition, its steeper slopes and more extreme seasons are reminiscent of zones in the Sud-Ouest (South-West France) further south and closer to the Pyrenees. Effectively, the Côtes de Duras constitutes the northwest corner of the Sud-Ouest, flanked by the Dordogne River to the north and the Garonne River to the south, and this hilly maritime AOC has been officially recognized since 1937—much earlier than most appellations in the region.

Corine’s “À l’abri du Monde” Rouge is roughly two-thirds Merlot, with the balance comprising Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, plus a tiny splash of Malbec. Vinified and aged in steel with no added sulfur at any point, including at bottling, it offers black, plummy fruit of vividness and clarity on a dry yet supple frame. A sense of balance suffuses the wine, whose elements are interwoven deftly, and it finishes with a gentle swell of tannins but remains firmly on the side of friendly drinkability.