Game in Languedoc

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

High-end Corbieres-Boutenac of Ollieux Romanis from manually-harvested grapes; Carignan-led with Grenache and Mourvedre, structured for long ageing.

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

The estate red of Mas Jullien, drawing from the village vineyards around Jonquieres; mid-weight Languedoc with garrigue depth, fine grain and a savoury finish.

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

Mourvedre-led Minervois of Borie de Maurel - the 'enchantress'; structured, wild and savoury with iron and warm spice.

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

The single-parcel cuvée from a sandstone-and-schist terroir east of Jonquieres; precise, structured and built to age 10 to 15 years from a top vintage.

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

Wild Syrah-led Berlou schist cuvée; a micro-production of about 1,200 bottles in the best vintages. Sweet spice from the Orient and the New World.

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

Mourvedre-based prestige La Clape of Pech-Celeyran with Syrah and Grenache; emphasis on garrigue and pine notes from the coastal massif terroir.

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

Mas Champart's flagship cuvee since 2000: 65% Mourvedre from massale selection originating at Domaine Tempier (Bandol), blended with 70-110 year-old Carignans and Grenache, aged 85% in demi-muid.

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

Rare 100% Syrah parcel cuvée of La Negly from a tiny plot. Single-parcel yield of 10-15 hl/ha, with retail prices typically EUR 180-350 per bottle.

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

Anniversary cuvée marking four centuries of Pennautier history (the estate dates to 1620); Atlantic-Mediterranean blend with extended barrique ageing.

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

Cuvee exception of Daumas Gassac, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the original 1972 vines. Produced in 2,000 bottles per top vintage; structured with backbone of freshness and powerful tannins.

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 · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Bold

The flagship 'mythic' cuvée of Borie de Maurel; Syrah-Grenache-Mourvedre with structured tannin and long ageing potential.

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

Premium Minervois cuvée of Oupia from a selection of old-vine best plots, aged 20 months in Bordeaux barriques; more elegant and restrained than Tradition with similar dark berries and spicy aromas.

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 · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Cébène's flagship and the only cuvée to age in oak. Mourvèdre-led for the long haul, from north-facing Faugères schist parcels.

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

Grand Vin red of Hospitalet from the best plots of Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache Noir; each variety vinified separately and blended in February before 12-month barrel ageing.

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

Prestige cuvée of Hospitalet from a rocky parcel dominated by wind and sun; old vines of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre on the La Clape limestone.

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 · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Bold

Mourvedre-dominated prestige cuvée of La Negly from very old vines; parcel selection yielding tiny harvests of 10-15 hl/ha. Named for the chateau's historic 18th-century identity.

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

Balanced and expressive top cuvée of Aupilhac; cinnamon, white pepper and ginger notes with raspberry and gooseberry fruit. Built to age.

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 · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Flagship Terrasses du Larzac of La Peira, a 60/40 Syrah-Grenache blend; full-bodied with smoked black fruit, ground pepper, graphite, garrigue, lavender and truffle notes, sweet integrated tannin and a long mineral finish per producer tasting notes spanning 2005-2020 vintages.

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

Syrah-led Minervois-La Liviniere from a winding-road parcel below La Liviniere; expressive black-fruit aromas and silky tannins from concrete-egg ageing.

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

The prestige Terrasses du Larzac of Sauvageonne; Syrah-Grenache-Mourvedre selection from the highest-quality parcels with extended barrique ageing.

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 · Elegant · Savoury

Single-parcel cuvée from the Cocalieres plateau at 350m altitude; delicate, long and fresh with red fruit and light spice aromas.

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

Parcel-selection top cuvée from the rocky Combariolles terroir; intense aromas of dried flowers, cinnamon and quetsche with structured tannin.

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

Syrah-led cuvée on Crès terroir - round pebbles with neutral pH, excellent draining quality. Built for the cellar.

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

Powerful, well-balanced Languedoc red from Domaine de la Marfee's Gres de Montpellier vineyards; biodynamic with structured fruit and mineral spine.

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

The flagship red of Château de Lascaux. Syrah-led Pic Saint-Loup magnified through extended barrel ageing. Built for the cellar.

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

Pure Syrah from Chateau Maris' top plots, aged 12 months in oak then bottled unfined and unfiltered; terrific aromatics with smoked beef and bacon-fat character.

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

Prestige cuvée of Domaine Canet Valette, named after the medieval Arab poet Omar Khayyam who celebrated wine. Concentrated, spice-led, structured.

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

Top Corbieres cuvée of Domaine Sainte Croix made from old-vine Carignan, Grenache and Syrah; built for long ageing with depth and savoury core.

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 · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Aime Guibert's pioneering Bordeaux-style red from the Gassac valley, ~80% Cabernet Sauvignon with twenty other rare varieties. The wine that built the IGP Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert.

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

Rare 100% Mourvedre cuvée from the Bois de Pauliau lieu-dit at La Peira; tiny production, structured and savoury.

Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Elegant

Frederic Pourtalie's single-cuvée red built on Syrah from rolled-pebble and limestone scree terroirs; generous yet precise Languedoc, never violent.

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

Sister premium cuvée to Cuvee des Barons at Chateau d'Oupia, sharing the same Syrah-Carignan blend from old-vine best plots with extended barrique ageing.

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 · 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 · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Savoury · Elegant

Biodynamic Corbieres-Boutenac built on Carignan with Syrah and Mourvedre; amphora-aged portion adds freshness to the structured oak component.

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

Domaine Léon Barral's flagship cuvée. 80% Mourvèdre dominant from 15-30 year-old vines on 4.3 hectares of schist; aged in barrel (10% new). Built for two decades.