Carignane Old Vines Little Big Block Vineyard, 2022, Birichino

We love the wines of Birichino in Santa Cruz California, who specialise in a special kind of sourcery: using intense, concentrated old vine fruit to make wines that are medium-bodied, elegant and balanced, without any flab or excess. This comes from a small vineyard in Contra Costa planted in 1895 (!). It's spicy, peppery and unfurls with lovely dark cherry fruit and hints of anise.