Rustic in Languedoc

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Fruity · Rustic

Syrah-Grenache from altitude vines at 300-400m on Faugères schist. Balsamic and herbal lift; Syrah's strength tempered by Grenache's generosity.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Easygoing

Syrah-led Pic Saint-Loup entry red blending young-vine Hortus fruit with selected lots from neighbouring growers. Built for five-year drinking.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

Syrah-Mourvèdre cuvée from Château Coujan's calcareous parcels. Peppery notes and leather; structured Saint-Chinian.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Easygoing

Sunny Pic Saint-Loup Syrah-led red, partly oak-aged. Spicy, peppery, supple - built for the dinner table rather than the cellar.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Easygoing

Four-grape Languedoc red from Saint Martin. Approachable, garrigue-driven; retail around €14-20 across French independents.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Elegant

Syrah-Grenache from Lascaux's calcareous Pic Saint-Loup plots. Carra (the pre-Roman word for stone) honours the limestone underfoot.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury · Rustic

La Clape four-variety red of Pech-Celeyran with vegetal aromas of rosemary, laurel and rockrose; ripe red and dark fruit.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

Syrah-Mourvèdre-Grenache from selected Faugères schist plots at 250-350m. Velvety, deep, powerful but fresh. Cistus refers to the rock-rose plant emblematic of the schist garrigue.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Rustic

Copa Santa hails from the historic Méjanelle terroir near Montpellier - Syrah-Grenache aged in barrel for the long haul.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury · Rustic

The estate red of Sylvain Fadat, drawn from the Aupilhac lieu-dit at Montpeyroux. Mourvedre-led with great complexity on the nose and palate.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

Full-bodied traditional Corbieres blend of the appellation's three primary grapes; black raspberry and garrigue with a textured, mouth-filling palate.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

Estate Corbieres of Voulte-Gasparets, a Carignan-Grenache-led blend with Syrah and Mourvedre; classic mid-weight Corbieres with garrigue depth.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury · Rustic

Carignan-led flagship of Voulte-Gasparets, named for a family ancestor. Rich expressive nose with prune and spice, peppered garrigue notes; ample, balanced palate with silky tannins.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Easygoing · Rustic

Syrah-Grenache entry red from Domaine de la Vieille, made organically. Built for everyday Pic Saint-Loup drinking.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Fruity · Elegant

Mas Champart's entry red, a five-grape Saint-Chinian blend on clay-limestone hill. Fresh fruit, herbal lift, fine tannin.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Easygoing · Fruity

Emblematic entry red of Bergerie du Capucin, declined in three colours. Approachable, fruit-forward with elegant red fruit and spice notes.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Rustic

Mourvedre-Syrah from Hortus's two opposing terroirs at the foot of the limestone cliffs. The Orliac family's flagship cuvee at Domaine de l'Hortus since the early 1990s.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

Old-vine Carignan-led entry red from biodynamic icon Didier Barral. From 40-70-year-old vines on Faugères schist; aged unoaked in cement and steel.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Savoury

Mid-tier biodynamic Faugères from Léon Barral, named Jadis (formerly). Carignan-Syrah-Grenache from schist; cement and old oak. A cellar wine in the making.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Refreshing

An unoaked Syrah-Grenache built around fruit, freshness and finesse, the three watchwords of Mas Bruguière. Drink within seven years.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

Mas Conscience's lead Terrasses du Larzac cuvée, drawing on the oldest Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault plots of the estate.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury · Rustic

Gold-medalled upper-tier Terrasses du Larzac of Mas Conscience; four-variety blend with Mourvedre adding structure.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Rustic

Mas Bruguière's flagship Pic Saint-Loup red. Syrah-led with Mourvèdre lending structure, aged in French oak. Built for the long haul.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Elegant · Savoury

Grenache-led tribute to the family home's yellow facade. Supple, syrupy, with a fine spice and leather register from 15 months in foudres and Burgundian barrels.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Savoury

Syrah-led flagship of Bergerie du Capucin, aged 16-18 months in 400-litre barrels. Generous and structured, with dark fruit, vanilla and cocoa register.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

Pure old-vine Carignan from Aupilhac; slightly smoky with aromas of black fruit and liquorice. A reference for the variety in the Languedoc.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

Old-vine Carignan-led entry red of the Bowens; a blend of Carignan, Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. Vinified in carbonic maceration for some parcels.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Elegant

Syrah-dominant cuvée from Cazeneuve's clay-limestone scree soils. Ample and balanced; rewards 2-5 years of cellaring before optimal drinking.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Rustic

Domaine de la Vieille's barrel-aged Pic Saint-Loup, named for the Visigoth cemetery discovered on the parcel. Ripe fruit, leather and menthol; built for the cellar.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Easygoing

Syrah-led red from Cazeneuve's hard limestone parcels. Built for early drinking with a three to four year ageing arc.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Easygoing · Rustic

Entry-level red of Ollier-Taillefer. Appealing, flavourful, schist-driven; the everyday Faugères of the estate.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

The entry cuvée of Olivier Jullien, balanced and approachable young with garrigue lift and silky tannins; the most affordable entry to the Mas Jullien range.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Easygoing

Radiant Coteaux du Languedoc expression of the hills around Montpellier. Limestone soils on the foothills of the Larzac plateau; north winds keep the wine fresh.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Funky

Field blend of nearly-forgotten Occitan varieties - Alicante (1927), Aramon (1930), Piquepoul Noir (1910), Carignan (1910); a manifesto for the region's heritage grapes.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Easygoing

Grenache-dominant cuvée from harsh limestone-clay soils at Borie la Vitarèle. Mineral, powerful, but with discreet tannin structure.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Rustic

Old-vine Carignan-Grenache from Blandine's Tonillières plot, planted to 60-year-old Carignan. Concrete and old-oak ageing preserves freshness and old-vine depth.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Fruity

Saint-Chinian Classic from La Madura: Grenache-led with the four traditional appellation varieties. Aromatic complexity and supple tannin.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Easygoing · Rustic

The everyday Mas Olivier Faugères, the entry red of the Faugères cooperative. Approachable, schist-driven, available in bottle and bag-in-box.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

Mid-tier Mas Olivier Faugères, the cooperative's barrel-aged cuvée. Generous and warm with smoky and vanilla notes from a year-long barrel ageing.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury · Rustic

Top-tier Mas Olivier Grande Réserve, the cooperative's flagship Faugères. Extended barrel-ageing; structured and warm.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

Aromatic, full and densely-coloured Minervois with a long dark-fruit finish; Carignan-led from up-to-100-year-old vines with 40% Syrah and 10% Grenache.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Contemplative

Old-vine Carignan from Faugères schist, named Nos Racines (our roots). Reflects the heritage of Carignan as the soul of the appellation.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

Entry-level La Peira cuvée built on Cinsault and Carignan, two of the region's heritage Southern France grapes; bright, savoury and structured.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

Old-vine Minervois-La Liviniere of Clos du Gravillas; Carignan-led with Syrah and Cinsault from organically-farmed parcels.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury · Rustic

Old-vine Carignan-based blend from a vineyard whose Carignan vines celebrated their 100th birthday in 2004; rich confit fruit and vanilla with garrigue.

Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Rustic

Mourvèdre-dominant cuvée from due-east-facing deep scree soils. The flagship long-ageing red of Cazeneuve; built for over a decade.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

The historic estate cuvée of Mas Cal Demoura (formerly L'Infidele, renamed in 2015); a five-variety Languedoc blend from across the estate's parcels, mid-weight and structured.

Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Rustic · Savoury

Old-vine pure Carignan from 1905-planted vines at Domaine Pierre Cros; fine and supple with candied plum, nutmeg, vanilla and cinnamon.