Showing a bit of its élevage in demi-muids, the 2017 Vin de France Les Coufis is a 100% Viognier made from partially dried grapes. Almond-skin notes join honeyed fruit, hints of apricot and ripe melon on the medium to full-bodied palate, finishing long and woody.

A vin de paille made using Viognier, the 2016 Vin de France Les Coufis was still aging in demi-muids when I tasted it in June (it ages for two years). The fruit is dried 40-45 days, enough to lose about 50% of its weight through evaporation, then pressed and fermented. It shows some of Viognier's floral, apricot notes but also rich, honeyed fruit. It's medium to full-bodied and not overly sweet or unctuous but made with a lighter touch. It turns silky on the long, sweet finish.

A wine scheduled to be bottled just after Christmas, the 2014 Vin de France Les Coufis is another blockbuster readers should snatch up! Made from 100% Viognier and aged two years in demi-muids, it has serious amounts of sugar, as well as vibrant acidity in its honeyed peach, toasted bread and spice-driven aromas and flavors. It’s a tour de force in dessert wines, and while I’d lean toward drinking bottles over the following 3-4 years, I suspect it will keep for about as long as you have the patience.