At a recent party, Kermit showed up with a goody bag of aged wines pulled from his cellar. Thirsty guests gathered round as corks began to pop, while outstretched arms holding empty glasses rapidly inundated the new focus of attention.

Amid a stellar lineup of old treasures from the cellar, the standout wine of the night was, by general consensus, a 1998 Vacqueyras “Lopy” from Sang des Cailloux. An elegant beast laden with notes of leather, smoke, Provençal herbs, and game, the bottle was rapidly drained. Most fascinating was the texture–smooth and rounded yet dense and weighty, not unlike the galets roulés stones that cover the surface of the vineyard.

“Lopy” represents the domaine’s oldest vines of Grenache and Syrah, and the 2014 boasts a similar balance to that outstanding 1998. Today it is thick, chewy, and almost bloody, loaded with ripe black cherry and spicy garrigue. Years from now, I imagine it, too, will display the stunning complexity of the 1998, able to stand tall among a lineup of old Bandol and Châteauneuf.