Our scout and buyer for the Languedoc-Roussillon is Mark Hoddy. He's always searching the region's vineyards, to check out the vintage and the finest parcels of grapes. This is an ace find Mark discovered first in 2019 via an old friend in Corbières. Close by is Domaine La Lirande, a small estate founded in 1912 by the grandfather, François, in the tiny village of Coulobres. Every year, the Syrah from the domaine's 8 hectares of 40-year-old vines stands out for quality. Just taste the richness of this seductive red. Ripe black fruit, velvety, with smoky liquorice and wild herb notes, it's young, so best with hearty dishes like pasta bake or at a barbecue.

Southern Burgundy’s Mâconnais has long been known for being a hotspot for good value but in the last decade its winemakers have proved that this goes hand in hand with remarkable quality too. They may not be able to put ‘Grand Cru’ on the label, but some of the bottles certainly warrant it. The Greuzards have been crafting superb wines at their Greffière estate for four generations now.

In fact there is evidence the property was making wine from 1585. Their top vineyard – La Roche Vineuse – is 12 hectares with vines 30 to 50-years-old. No wonder the fruit is so deliciously concentrated and long. Slow fermentation with lees stirring results in this rich complex style. Serve lightly chilled with white meats, risotto or a creamy fish dish.

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.

For over 30 years, Le XV has delighted fans with its velvety smoothness, decadent richness and sheer generosity of flavour. Originally made by a rugby-mad bunch of winemakers in deepest southern France, its beating heart has always been luscious old-vine Grenache, packed with dark fruits, jammy ripeness and lashings of spice. To celebrate decades of 5-star fandom, Mark Hoddy joined forces with Vincent Gourdon, the visionary behind the original XV, to source extra special parcels of grapes.

Vincent is so well respected in the Roussillon region he’s fondly nicknamed Obi Wine Kenobi! In this deluxe edition, Mark added wild-herb, black-fruit Syrah to the century-old vine Grenache grapes. Dense and warming, it's best paired with hearty dishes.

Take a minute to read the (literally thousands of) 5-star online reviews for Cabalié. This one is typical: “When my time comes to shuffle off this mortal coil, this is the wine I want in that final glass. It is simply, utterly, indescribably fantastic.” Its secret? It’s crafted by a master winemaker, Hervé Sabardeil, following the centuries-old style beloved of Roman centurions, who first made wine there. Raspberry-rich Grenache, with herby Syrah and Carignan, Cabalié has impressive concentration.

That’s due to the maturity of the vines, most well over 50 years old. The tiny berries they produce give Cabalié extraordinarily rich, ripe flavours. Boasting 8 Golds in as many vintages, this much-loved red is warming solo or with hearty dishes.