A Thriller by Synthia Baynes

MILLÉSIME

In the shadows of the châteaux, the only thing more complex than the blend is the conspiracy.

Millésime book cover
PLOT

A bottle of wine.
A stolen secret.
A dead man's game.

The Story

Noah Tan and Diego Álvarez know wine — tasting notes, terroir, and the secrets hidden in oak barrels. They don't know geopolitics. Until a routine sommelier consultation in Bordeaux turns deadly.

When a stolen neuromorphic chip — capable of controlling the military — goes missing from a covert government transport, three powers converge: a ruthless Russian syndicate, a shadowy operative, and France's DGSI.

Pulled into a world of surveillance and double-cross, they must play spy to survive — feeding false leads, eavesdropping in châteaux, and navigating diplomatic lies — while trying to keep their friendship, their lives, and Bordeaux's fragile peace intact.

In a world where a "long finish" usually refers to a fine Cabernet, they're about to find out that some secrets leave a permanent aftertaste.

A thriller about loyalty, betrayal, and the fine line between taste and terror, set where the stakes are as rich and dangerous as the wine itself.

"Because what's inside matters."

— Millésime, Synthia Baynes
Synthia Baynes

Synthia
Baynes

Author · Wine Enthusiast · Bordeaux Devotee

Synthia Baynes writes at the intersection of obsession and elegance. With a deep love for Bordeaux, its châteaux, and the stories that unfold in old cellars, she brings a unique authenticity to the world of wine thrillers.

Her debut novel, Millésime, is the result of years spent immersed in French culture. Baynes combines her passion for espionage and fiction with the belief that the most dangerous secrets are the ones we savor slowly.

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