Le XV is known to thousands as our ‘King of the Big Reds’. It owes its intensity to Grenache from vines, some over 100 years old, that grow on the rocky slopes of the Pyrenean foothills in the Montagne Noire and yield only tiny quantities of grapes. Le XV also benefits from the painstaking care of self-confessed southern French wine aficionado Mark Hoddy, whose draconian selection process sees him earmark in advance every vineyard he intends to harvest and micro-manage every stage of the winemaking. This takes time, but you can taste the result in every delicious glass!

Richly textured, with layers of ripe bramble fruit kept smooth by warming alcohol and soft, ripe tannins, this is a red to enjoy with roast lamb, steak or a hearty stew.

Chai winemaker Mark Hoddy reserves the Belle Roche label for a red wine made from the best parcel of grapes of the vintage. In 2021 he found just the ticket in a few rows of dark, thick-skinned Cabernet, grown in high-up Languedoc vineyards close to Carcassonne. There the climate benefits both from Mediterranean and Atlantic influences, hence a wine that echoes both of the warm ripeness of the Med with the structure of Bordeaux. It's a densely flavoured red, its colour almost black – the reason he calls it his precious ‘black diamond’ of the vintage. Meticulously crafted by Mark at the cellar, Belle Roche is best decanted an hour before serving, just like a claret. It’s ideal with a juicy steak, a rich lasagne or a hearty casserole. Decant.

Chai winemaker Mark Hoddy reserves the Belle Roche label for a red wine made from the best parcel of grapes of the vintage. In 2022 he found just the ticket in a few rows of dark, thick-skinned Cabernet, grown in high-up Languedoc vineyards close to Carcassonne. There the climate benefits both from Mediterranean and Atlantic influences, hence a wine that echoes both of the warm ripeness of the Med with the structure of Bordeaux.

It's a densely flavoured red, its colour almost black – the reason he calls it his precious ‘black diamond’ of the vintage. Meticulously crafted by Mark at the cellar, Belle Roche is best decanted an hour before serving, just like a claret. It’s ideal with a juicy steak, a rich lasagne or a hearty casserole. Decant.

It’s a rarely known fact that the Languedoc was the first French region to be introduced to viticultural practices by the Romans. This balmy red wine country took a hit in the 1980s when it became known for high volume wine, which lacked quality. But today, that quality is back thanks to passionate and dedicated Languedoc enthusiasts, such as Laurent Guillot. Born into a fourth generation Burgundian wine family, Laurent decided to head south and create an estate of his own. A north meets south style is evident in this spicy, supple red. With this wine he won Gold, crafting an authentic expression of the wild, sun-blessed terroir. Syrah based, it’s laden with blackberry and peppery spice, with a pep of fresh red fruit from Négrette.

Hasn't Malbec come a long way! It used to produce the tough, tannic reds of SW France, then Argentina got a hold of it and made it a worldwide star. Not to be out done, France is revisiting this grape and, with refined techniques and careful handling, showing just how appealing its wines can be. Hervé discovered a plot of 30-year-old vines in the Languedoc's Vallée de l'Orb, on soils covered with big boulder-like stones that promote grapes with lovely intensity and ripeness.
Impressed, he bagged the lot. Hand harvesting, gentle handling, and just a short time on its skins, have resulted in a silky, ripe, supple wine, with ample fruit tinged with herbs and liquorice. A fine choice with marinaded pork chops, roast chicken or veggie kebabs.