the characters you do not like might come from the carbonic maceration technic, used on some of the grapes. But if you have the opportunity to try the 2006 (the one that has been awarded by Decanter) please do so (should be at the coop later this year), it is made a bit differently and some of the wine has been fermented in oak barrels.
I am trying to make something quite typical from the south of France, less common than most new world wines!
GK wrote:
I opened this last night, lighter than I was expecting although flavours were quite intense, bright, very ripe but dry, some burnt notes on the nose, oily but white oil if possibly, like wd40, sounds dreadful I know but was nice in an unusual way, I can see why the judges singled it out. Not for me.