Tête de Bélier is Château Puech Haut's prestige cuvée, the one where the estate summons all the power of its terroir to craft a red that leaves nothing to chance. The vineyard, set some twenty kilometres from Montpellier at between 50 and 150 metres altitude, lies on rounded pebbles deposited by the Rhône thousands of years ago, resting on a deep clay-limestone base. This free-draining, heat-retaining soil, under a Mediterranean climate tempered by maritime influences, gives Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre slow, steady ripening. Each variety is vinified separately in concrete vats with a long maceration of three to four weeks, before 18 months of ageing in oak barrels and large casks (foudres) that refines without erasing the fruit.

The 2022 shows an intense blackish garnet colour with violet glints, reflecting a hot, dry vintage that concentrated the wine with authority. The nose is immediate and deep: jammy blackberry, blackcurrant, before the Mourvèdre slips in notes of cedar, leather and oriental spices over a background of dried garrigue. The palate is broad and voluminous, the tannins tight but perfectly coated, supported by a mineral freshness that keeps the whole from becoming heavy. The finish lingers on notes of mild pepper and toast, and hints at serious ageing potential until 2034.

Decant for at least an hour and serve between 17 and 18 °C. Tête de Bélier 2022 calls for cooking to match its density: a lamb chop with rosemary and confit garlic, a navarin of beef cheeks or a well-aged hard cheese from the Languedoc.