Wine Advocate Review
Rated 90
Chapoutier's 2009 Banyuls does an excellent job of projecting in fortified, sweet format the sorts of herbal elements - fennel, juniper, marjoram - that are characteristically associated in dry red wine with the environmental underbrush or garrigue. Plum and blueberry preserves along with mint chocolate form the principle themes for a soothing wine that - while rather superficially sweet - retains a welcome degree of primary juiciness as well as the aforementioned herbal characteristics that help to offset that sweetness in what is an impressively long finish. I suspect this will be most enjoyable over the next 3-4 years, though perhaps greater interest and - after a considerable elapse of time - a diminution in sucrosity will develop.

Wine Tasting Notes
The dessert wines of M. Chapoutier are naturally sweet and show full fruit and wonderful character. They are universally perfect with fruit and/or chocolate desserts and are a pleasurable finale to any dinner occasion. Deep garnet. A touch of dry fruit, crystallised orange and pepper. Powerful, tender, chocolate and dried prune. Can be stored for a long time.