Not every red wine justifies a journey into the depths of the earth, but this one does. Chasm de Cabrespine is a bold, velvety red wine from the Minervois region of southern France with a story that’s as exciting as it tastes.

On a mission to achieve winemaking perfection (or, at least, delicious results), winemaker Sylvain Delabre had a daring idea: create something from extreme heights and extreme lows.

First, he hand picked separate plots of Syrah and Grenache from tiny vineyards strung high in the Black Mountains above Carcassonne, France. Then, after crushing the fruit and fermenting the juice, he chose to age the wine a total of six years in a giant, underground chasm carved more than 650 feet below ground.

The initial aging happened in clay amphorae nestled in the upper reaches of the Gouffre Géant de Cabrespine, a massive cave located in the Occitanie region (near Carcassonne). Once bottled, the wine was carefully lowered—first by rope pulley, then by hand—into a subterranean river. It was then left to rest in complete darkness, with ideal humidity and one-of-a-kind pressure.

Somewhat paradoxically, the unique environment creates a brightness, complexity and vibrancy you won’t find in ordinary cellars. And the resulting wine brims with dark cherries, ripe blackberries, hints of jasmine and violets accented by notes of licorice across a long, spicy finish.

When Mark Hoddy, our southern French wine expert, last visited the cave, it took him four hours and a climb equal to scaling the Empire State Building to retrieve just a single bottle. A wild adventure, to be sure, but one that delivers a wine worthy of the effort.

Secure your share now and get ready to share a story as impressive as the wine itself.