Department 66 Painted Scars 2021

This blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah comes from old vines planted in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains, which border France and Spain. The label is from Dave Phinney and his Department 66 project in Maury, France. This is a ripe, powerful, full-throttle, hedonistic red wine with a depth as striking as the painted scars on the man's body depicted on the front label. The image was taken from a page in a 19th-century anatomy book. Mexican tattoo artist Dr. Lakra (a.k.a. Jeronimo Lopez Ramirez) used microfibre brushes to apply his iconic tattoo art to the man's skin. Phinney, a fan and collector of Dr. Lakra's work, chose this artwork for its captivating details. You could easily get lost in the eyes of the owl or the woman's gaze on his right-hand forearm; such is the mesmerising quality of the piece. Similarly, you can get lost in this wine and its captivating intensity. A deep ruby-purple in the glass, with magenta tears staining the rim, boasts abundant ripe boysenberry and elderberry aromatics, complemented by lavish new cedar wood. Full-bodied and expansive on the palate, the powerful tannins resolve into refined grains, while plush, satiny blueberry and black cherry fruits are washed away by an intensely iron-like mineral and crushed stone finish.