After tasting more than 900 wines from across the Languedoc, Natalie Earl gives her verdict on the most recent releases, mostly 2022, 2021 and 2020, from the key appellations.
Here we present a quick and easy way to see tasting notes and scores for all 67 Languedoc wines that scored 93 points and above.
Wines are listed in score order.
| Producer | Appellation | Colour | Score | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domaine Binet-Jacquet, Réserve | Faugères | 2020 | 95 | With its plush black fruit, lovely acidity, and succulent and melting tannins, this brilliant wine is gleaming with promise. A sapid, delectable palate of just-ripe blueberries, and I love its herbal, juniper and white pepper nuances. Waves of acidity and stone show great ageing potential. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Cébène, Belle Lurette | Faugères | 2021 | 95 | Soft, silky and ever so refined in texture - a defining feature of this radiant wine - the tannins are delicious, so soft and pillowy and swept up in a tumult of juicy acidity. Youthful, stony, full-bodied and well structured, yet its beautifully poised for a bright future. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Cébène, Les Bancèls | Faugères | 2021 | 95 | A deep, sensual wine of great intensity, a strong character with a wild heart. It's savoury and meaty, but also full of ripe, juicy, bubbling bramble fruit, showing glorious freshness, acidity and presence. This vintage is in a great place, with perfect structure, concentration, lots of plum fruit, herbs, undergrowth and tight serrated tannins. A marvel. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Cébène, Felgaria | Faugères | 2018 | 95 | This is deliciously open and relaxed, showing first its deep, savoury and herbal qualities of menthol, liquorice and tobacco leaves, before presenting its ripe black plums, violets and a sprinkling of Moroccan spices. The palate is brimming with ripe red cherries, mouthwatering and moreish but also complex and structured, with touches of pine and garrigue herbs. A true grand vin. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Saint-Cels, Milles Etoiles | St-Chinian | 2017 | 95 | Intensely liquorice-focused on the nose, with flashes of star anise among the wafts of dark chocolate, cocoa nibs, and chocolate-covered cherries. There's richness but there's also savoury complexity to temper it. It's in a lovely place right now, showing some evolution, but the palate is actually really light and fresh, the tannins are silky and resolved and there's a fresh mineral seam. This really shows the finesse that can be achieved in this appellation. Click to see full details | |
| Mas Cal Demoura, Les Combariolles | Terrasses du Larzac | 2021 | 95 | Beguiling, complex aromatics of plum skin, cherry stone, sage and thyme, with a light smoky touch. It's bright and alive in the mouth, with a tang of red cherry, a surge of red apple acidity. Deliciously fresh and sapid, a sublime example of what this appellation can achieve. The tannins are currently a little grippy, thought they should resolve, as its still youthful. So vibrant and juicy, utterly drinkable. Click to see full details | |
| Mas d'Agamas, Baies Choisies | Terrasses du Larzac | 2020 | 95 | Brilliant aromatics on show here - pretty, delicate, delectable scents, a veritable potpourri of roses, violets, lavender and raspberry coulis. And it's delicious from the first mouthful, too. The purity of fruit here is amazing. Cherries and raspberries in their purest form. Succulent and juicy thanks to balancing acidity, with soft, tasty tannins giving great silkiness to the texture. There's a little dried herb flourish on the finish. The tannins are resolved, integrated and everything is in perfect harmony. Wow. Love this. It has a real lightness of touch but concentration as well. A triumph. Click to see full details | |
| Maxime Magnon, La Bégou | Corbières | 2022 | 95 | The accumulation of old vines, healthy fruit and a deft hand really cements this wine as a true reference point for the region. This wine needs a little time in bottle to really express itself, but it's a sure delight to drink now. Yellow apple, white blossom lemon rind fruit carve a path through the deep stony, mineral core. It's lean, taut, with a grippy tension in the mouth, a touch of macadamia nut and a long, high-acid finish. Triumphant. Click to see full details | |
| Château Maris, La Touge | Minervois La Livinière | 2020 | 94 | Gorgeously fragrant, freshly picked strawberries layered with bundles of fresh rosemary, mint and lemon thyme. An incredibly pure expression of fruit and wild herbs, building up to an exquisite cascade of ripe red berries. A mouthwatering wine with a real crunch on the finish, a beautiful texture and a finish laced with bitter chocolate. A real success. Click to see full details | |
| Clos des Reboussiers | Pic St-Loup | 2020 | 94 | Pronounced smoky bacon, dried thyme, juniper and rosemary aromas are joined by black olive tapenade and eucalyptus on the palate. It's a savoury expression at first, but the concentrated black fruit comes through with air. The tannins are woven into a fine silk, coating the mouth, and the finish is lifted by an intriguing note of blood orange. Very refined. Click to see full details | |
| Clos du Gravillas, L'Inattendu | Minervois | 2022 | 94 | Grenaches Blanc and Gris, with some Macabeu, perform a delicate dance here, with inviting aromas that flit between white florals, wet rocks and a fine dusting of dried herbs. Firm, mineral and refined, with a light nutty note, this is a wine that's at once pure and powerful. The dry, hot 2022 vintage has not zapped this wine's consistent elegance. Fermented in 500-litre barrels and aged on lees, a little richness rounds out the finish. Click to see full details | |
| Château Ollieux Romanis, Atal Sia | Corbières Boutenac | 2021 | 94 | A masterpiece in fruit purity, showing lots of round plummy tones, sweeping blackberry and bramble richness, black cherry depth and such elegance and poise. The ripe fruit is balanced by a slatey, mineral core and fine-grained tannins. Old-vine Carignan is the star here. Superb. Click to see full details | |
| Château Petit Roubié, L'O Sur Lie Patience | Picpoul de Pinet | 2022 | 94 | Golden yellow in colour, the aromas span ripe pineapple and candied lemon peel to creamy leesy richness, followed by intensely salty lemons. The characteristic salty impression is strong here, making this mouthwatering, appetising and every so delicious. With its weighty mouthfeel, its ripe citrus and stone fruit character, and its honeyed complexity, this would work well at the table. It still has a fresh lick of lime and grapefruit to keep it zesty, too. Yum. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Balansa, Can del Rey | Fitou | 2020 | 94 | Smoky black fruit and crushed flint aromas spill from the glass. The fruit concentration is profound, and there's a satisfying crushed strawberry fragrance which brings great aromatic complexity. Delectable ripe tannins and fresh acidity make for a moreish mouthful. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de l'Hortus, Le Dit de l'Hortus l'Ombrée | Pic St-Loup | 2020 | 94 | Aerial and radiant in aroma, pulsing with red cherry, violets, blackberry and cacao wrapped around dried sage and smoke. Juicy and tactile, velvety and smooth, this is so poised and elegant. Once you've taken one sip you're powerless to its touch. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine des Pradels-Quartironi, Le Moineau des Glycines | St-Chinian | 2020 | 94 | Pale in colour with focused lemony, chalky aromas, bright blossom, yellow apple, macadamia and lemon zest. Concentrated and full of flavour, showing beautifully pure lemon rind, crab apple and white peach in the mouth. This has such a lovely range of pure fruit flavours, giving it intensity and complexity. Pithy, grapefruity, fresh, chalky and mineral. I love it. Schist soils, fermented with indigenous yeasts, with a short ageing on fine lees. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine du Pas de l'Escalette, Le Grand Pas | Terrasses du Larzac | 2021 | 94 | Dark plum and black cherry aromas, with an iodine, mineral, slate/stone background note. It's incredibly floral as well, showing iris and violet, with lavender and wild thyme bursting from the glass. Powerful and concentrated, but not extracted. Intensely spicy, piquant, with searing acidity. The alcohol is perhaps a little high. Chalky, grippy tannins but they are ripe and make for a textural mouthful. Iodine, wet stones and a ferrous tang on the finish. Keep for a few years, this shows great promise and ageing potential. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Jones, Vieilles Vignes | Fitou | 2021 | 94 | Exquisite Carignan aromas of smoked meat, charcuterie, thyme and rich black fruit introduce this Fitou, leading to a dense but approachable palate. Brimming with black cherry, dried herbs and small red berries, the tannins are silky and integrated, the finish smooth, fresh and mineral. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Ledogar | Corbières Boutenac | 2019 | 94 | A bold patchwork of plump black fruit, leather and spice, hemmed in by salty liquorice and grilled meat notes. Cocoa nibs and roasted coffee beans broaden out the palate, as do supple tannins, and the refreshing acidity draws out the finish. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Ledogar, La Compagnon | Corbières Boutenac | 2020 | 94 | Generous on spice and bold on fruit, yet everything is all still in balance. Cracked black pepper and cumin meld with crunchy just-ripe blueberries, wild blackberries, sloes and juniper, a delicious infusion that's supported by elegant, fine-grained tannins and super juicy acidity. Highly successful. Click to see full details | |
| La Jasse Castel, Bleu Velours | Terrasses du Larzac | 2021 | 94 | Aerial and delicate aromas of crushed raspberries, jewels of pomegranate, damson and tomato leaf waft from the glass, a gorgeous introduction to this elegant wine. The fruit ripeness is in perfect balance with the fresh acidity, fine-grained tannins and taut mineral edge. The wine evolves in the mouth, and the lasting impression is that of intense wild thyme. Elegance, poise, concentration - this has it all. Click to see full details | |
| Le Chemin des Rêves, La Soie | Pic St-Loup | 2021 | 94 | Impenetrable inky depth to the colour. Intense aromatics that combine rich and concentrated black fruit with crushed rocks, slate and black olive, providing a well-balanced sweet-savoury character. Long and succulent acidity, glossy in texture, really very good. Click to see full details | |
| Les Vignerons de Florensac, Florès Le Picpoul de Pinet Patience | Picpoul de Pinet | 2019 | 94 | Golden flecks in the glass. Bold, alluring and complex aromas swirl from the glass, showcasing notes of candied peel, melon, dried mango, and tinned pineapple, with touches of hay and oatmeal. It's ripe, opulent and creamy. Concentrated, intense, and impressive. This still has lots of acidity and freshness, but is perhaps not as saline as the variety can sometimes seem. Flamboyant, but successful. Click to see full details | |
| Mas Bruguière, La Grenadière | Pic St-Loup | 2021 | 94 | A beautiful expression of Syrah built on youthful black fruit, spanning black plums, forest berries and black olives. Smooth-textured in the mouth, like slippery crimson silk, with clean, defined lines and a mineral, stony centre. It's concentrated and tightly structured, but ever so fresh and refined. 40-year-old Syrah claims centre stage here, at 90%, and was vinified in foudres. 2021 was quite a fresh vintage in Pic St Loup, leading to high acidities and good ageing potential. This will open out with another year in bottle. Click to see full details | |
| Thierry Navarre, Cuvée Olivier | St-Chinian | 2020 | 94 | Dark and rich but not heavy, with lifted peppery, scorched tones over the black cherry, liquorice and bramble fruit. Such a scrummy wine, so supple and open, with a spicy finish. Click to see full details | |
| Thierry Navarre, Le Laouzil | St-Chinian | 2021 | 94 | A dark expression on the nose, but this wine still shows great freshness under the freshly ground coffee and cocoa powder complexity. Wild cherries mix with orange peel, spice and red apple, with excellent juiciness and concentration. A lovely lightness of touch. Click to see full details | |
| Thierry Navarre, Ribeyrenc | St-Chinian | 2021 | 94 | A pale cherry-red in the glass, this genius wine is bright, juicy and fresh, a real tonic showing delicious orange zest, cranberry, raspberry, and loads of wild strawberry fruit. Touches of juniper and fresh rosemary, too. It's light-bodied, refreshing and drinkable. Wine's answer to modern times. Click to see full details | |
| Terres Falmet, L'Ivresse des Cimes | St-Chinian | 2021 | 94 | Rich and inviting, this is expressive and characterful, providing an enticing window into the Roquebrun terroir. Bold, juicy blackberries sing harmoniously with notes of liquorice, char and deep spice, with cassia and cade humming underneath. Click to see full details | |
| Cave de Roquebrun, Les Fiefs d'Aupenac | St-Chinian | 2020 | 93 | Arresting and aromatically complex, red and black fruit saturate the palate but there's an energetic lift that many don't achieve. Searing acidity, prominent but ripe tannins giving a bold structure. A very impressive and accomplished wine from the Roquebrun cooperative, bravo. Click to see full details | |
| Château Chênaie, Conviction | Faugères | 2021 | 93 | This wine has such an appetising profile, a delectable mouthful of cherry, Frangipane, vanilla and raspberry. It's juicy, fresh and gorgeous, a fountain of ripe strawberry and surging freshness, flowing on and on. Click to see full details | |
| Château de Gaure | Limoux | 2021 | 93 | A little reductive at first, the aromas come round to crushed rocks, bruised apple, fresh hay and pistachio nuts. An earthy, funky quality lends complexity, adding to the overall vibrancy of the wine. Textured and tactile in the mouth, with sufficient body to fill the cheeks and coat the tongue. Delicious and distinctive. Click to see full details | |
| Château de Gaure, Princesse Aldérica | Limoux | 2018 | 93 | Despite a few years in bottle this still feels very youthful, showing bright lemons, apples and a struck match, flinty, wet stone freshness. Sweet ripe stone fruit bursts in the mouth, propelled with succulent acidity. Aromatic intrigue comes through in hay, golden raisin, walnut and almond characters. Refined in texture and stature, this has great length, the tongue curling round a lemon pith and bitter almond skin finish. Click to see full details | |
| Château de Gourgazaud, Pater Familias | Minervois La Livinière | 2021 | 93 | A touch lighter in colour than many of the other 2021s, with a more lifted, estery aromatic profile of red apples and raspberries. The palate is bright and full of fruit flavour. The finish is long and speckled with clove spice. It does come across as quite oaky, but has a lovely ripe tannic structure. Click to see full details | |
| Château de Lancyre, Vieilles Vignes | Pic St-Loup | 2020 | 93 | Dark and flirtatious, this wine weaves its blackberry and bramble profile smoothly through a tapestry of fresh and dried herbs, with a hem of salted liquorice. Rich and concentrated but ever so fresh, raspberry acidity and a spicy, stony streak drives through the notes of coffee cream. Click to see full details | |
| Château Estanilles, Clos du Fou | Faugères | 2019 | 93 | Dark smoky scents, freshly cracked black pepper and mineral-laced black fruits, this is a powerful wine but still refined. There's huge energy here and sweeping acidity, gliding through the ripe red and black cherries right down to its stony core, lending balance and support. Click to see full details | |
| Château La Baronne, Les Chemins | Corbières | 2022 | 93 | A super complex and intriguing style, I love the aromas of fresh hay, dried apple, apricot and grapefruit rind. Almond and walnut notes combine with both fresh and dried herbs. Ripe fleshy guava and nectarine fruit are balanced by a saline, mineral edge. A wine for full-flavoured food and hard salty cheeses. Click to see full details | |
| Château La Liquière, Cistus | Faugères | 2021 | 93 | I'm immediately struck by aromas of orange blossom, violets, juniper and cassia. In the mouth the flavours are concentrated, distilled into a succulent concoction of tangerine rind, redcurrant, bramble and sous bois. Gorgeous. Click to see full details | |
| Château La Maurine, Confidence | St-Chinian | 2019 | 93 | Bright blueberries, black cherries, floral and herbal too. Such a fragrant mouthful, full of wild thyme, lavender, liquorice, rosemary and dense black fruit. There's a plushness to the palate here, but it's also juicy. A little bloody and ferrous on the finish. From clay-limestone soils, vinified and aged in barrels and demi-muids. Click to see full details | |
| Château Ollieux Romanis, Prestige Blanc | Corbières | 2021 | 93 | A refined and stand-out wine that shows deft winemaking skill in its precision, balance and complexity. It's golden and rich, showing exotic fruit and spice alongside lemon balm and verbena florals. There's some pleasant nutty oak, wisps of garrigue herbs, juniper and broom. Nicely done. Click to see full details | |
| Château Pech Redon, Epervier | La Clape | 2022 | 93 | A deeper yellowy-golden in colour. Ripe orchard fruit, nutty richness and crab apple complexity make for an appetising sip. Savoury notes of dried herbs and nuts mix with sweet apple and blossom. Texturally complex and inviting. A characterful wine. A blend of Bourboulenc, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Picpoul, Roussanne and Marsanne. Click to see full details | |
| Château Sainte-Eulalie, Bellezour Anima | Minervois La Livinière | 2021 | 93 | A touch of reduction on the first nose, and a herbal note of green tea leaves. This evolves into fresh earth and cherry skin. The palate is bold and brimming with black fruit, but it also has a firm, mineral core. The fruit concentration is tempered by a lovely spiciness and lifted on the finish by a red fruit crunch and a vaguely citrus zestiness. Refined and distinctive. Click to see full details | |
| Clos du Gravillas, Rendez-Vous Sur La Lune | Minervois | 2022 | 93 | With its bright pops of warm and sunny blueberries, brambly fruit and a super fresh stony character, this ripe and structured red is quite irresistible. A mouthful of billowing satin, the tannins are present but supple and fine. Like stuffing fistfuls of juicy blackberries and dried rosemary and thyme in your mouth. Both spicy and mineral on the finish. Click to see full details | |
| Clos Fantine, Cuvée Courtiol | Faugères | 2019 | 93 | A countryside hedgerow simply bursting with brambly fruit and seeping with menthol, liquorice and cade. The palate is concentrated, with huge sweeping acids and a taut tannic structure. There's some toasty, spicy hints and a core roped in iron, supported by velvety tannins. Flecks of orange emerge on the palate, it's driving and fragrant, full of energy. The finish is just a little drying, but the overall impression is soft and comforting. Click to see full details | |
| Clos la Rivière | St-Chinian | 2019 | 93 | Seductive, rich and poised, this is a treasure trove of delight on the nose. Exotic spices, pot pourri and incense meld enticingly with toast, cinnamon, cardamom and cedar. The flavours go even deeper into leather, forest floor, and then peppery black cherry fruit. A huge wine, but refined. Ferrous and bloody finish. Soft, resolved tannins. From 37-year-old vines on clay-limestone soils. Aged in demi-muids for 12 months. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Balansa, Bel Soula | Fitou | 2021 | 93 | A little reductive on opening, but pretty red berry aromas eventually open out onto a super fresh palate, hyper textural and silky with suave tannins. A lightness and airiness pervades through the wine, a rocky core, a touch of green leaf lingers on the back palate. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Begude, Etoile | Limoux | 2021 | 93 | A white that's on the riper end of the spectrum, with juicy peach, pineapple and succulent lemons. There's an opulent, weighty mouthfeel but great acidity sweeps through and elongates the finish. There's creaminess and density, lovely sweet ripe fruit and chalky freshness. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Castelnau | Picpoul de Pinet | 2022 | 93 | Deep yellow in colour with rich aromas of toast, honey, oats, ripe melon, pineapple and lemon rind. A wonderfully concentrated Picpoul de Pinet that’s balanced by signature zesty acidity. There’s a lovely pithy, grippy texture and a subtle seductive note of candied lemon peel to the finish. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Cébène, Ex Arena | Faugères | 2022 | 93 | Black fruited, bright and delightful, a very fluid and digest mouthful that offers length, complexity and refreshment, a great achievement. Black plums, salted currants, liquorice and wild thyme sit astride a stony, slatey core. It's full of crunchy fruit and could take a light chill. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine de Villeneuve, Fol Envie | Pic St-Loup | 2020 | 93 | Perfumed and elegant with roses and violets over black plums, sloes and bramble. Intense, structured and bold. Citrus acidity drives the wine forward in the mouth and a lean slatey note draws out the finish. The finish plays between stones, bitter plum skin and ripe fruit. Impressive and refined. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine la Bouysse, Terrassaé | Corbières | 2022 | 93 | A pale red in the glass, this wine's aromas wash over you with fresh wild strawberries, tea leaves, tobacco and cranberries. In the mouth it's so silky, with deliciously sweet succulent fruit, tight and grippy tannins and a streak of something reen or stemmy. I love the deep spice alongside the lifted freshness. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine la Croix Sainte Eulalie, Cuvée Baptiste | St-Chinian | 2020 | 93 | Lifted red fruit, with some delectable notes of fresh fig and prune. A touch of roasted meat, dried thyme and rosemary. Fresh and juicy on the palate, with lots of raspberry and red cherry freshness and a dried herb undertow. A little lighter in colour and style, and delicious for it. Tannins are a little drying. Schist soils, aged in barrels for 12 months. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine La Linquière, Fleur de Lin | St-Chinian | 2021 | 93 | Such delicate, refreshing aromas of crushed rocks, wet chalk and apple blossom. This is a sparky wine, with great intensity of lemon pith and zest, a rocky core, and waves of yellow plum and honeysuckle. Delightful. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine les Eminades, Montmajou | St-Chinian | 2021 | 93 | Rich and opulent on the nose, with aromas of vanilla, toast and spice. The palate shows a leaner story, with lemon tart, flint, wet stones and a chalky texture. Quite Burgundian in style, grippy and textural on the palate. 30-year-old Grenache Blanc and 24-year-old Marsanne, from clay-limestone soils, fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for 11 months in barrels on fine lees. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Marie de Lauzerda, 4ème Pas Sur La Lune | St-Chinian | 2020 | 93 | Inky black in colour with a ruby rim. Bold and intense aromas, overflowing with blackberries, figs, prunes, toast, char, coffee and cedar. It's thick and dense, the tannins still serrated. The fruit is nice and ripe and also tart and tangy. It's a super serious wine with excellent ageing potential. Wait another three years before opening. Aged for 15 months in tank. Limestone soils. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Ollier-Taillefer, Allegro | Faugères | 2022 | 93 | Ripe peach and apricot aromas with some nutty notes too. It's quite opulent in its honeysuckle and jasmine profile. Concentrated in flavour, with good weight on the palate. It's quite taut and oaky at present but should settle into itself. Notes of vanilla, ginger, blossom and exotic pineapple are tempered by a lift of salt and chalk on the finish. An accomplished wine that would be great with creamy risotto. A blend of Rolle, Roussanne and Carignan Blanc. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Pierre Bories, Le Blanc | Corbières | 2021 | 93 | Sunny, nutty and ripe, this has heaps of complexity, showing enjoyable white blossom, dried apple and thyme honey characters. Vanilla and opulent honeysuckle notes seep through the palate, as does a strong sense of ginger and cardamom, dried herbs and beeswax. Unique and ageworthy. Click to see full details | |
| Domaine Plan de l'Homme, Cuvée Khi | Terrasses du Larzac | 2020 | 93 | Vivacious and bright, this is a wine that you'll just keep coming back to. Lifted raspberry aromas with hints of black tea leaves, followed by great fruit concentration on the palate and generous, flowing acidity. Well balanced and well made, bravo. Click to see full details | |
| Le Chemin des Rêves, Gueule de Loup | Pic St-Loup | 2021 | 93 | Luminous blue and black fruit profile, a cascade of forest berries and bramble mixed with smoky wisps of wood burning stove. Thyme, liquorice and menthol lend great aromatics to the palate, which is quite taut and inaccessible at the moment. Give this time to open up. Click to see full details | |
| Le Chemin des Rêves, L'Optimiste | Pic St-Loup | 2021 | 93 | Incredibly floral aromas, the violet tones of Syrah, with enticing ripe blueberries too. Juniper and black pepper appear in the mouth and give a lovely fragrance to each mouthful. This has good concentration but is also light on its feet, crunchy, with supple tannins. Click to see full details | |
| Le Clos du Serres, Les Maros | Terrasses du Larzac | 2021 | 93 | Lifted raspberry and red cherry spring from the glass, as well as some ripe blueberry and bramble notes. Elegant, refined aromatics jump from lavender to red apple to sage. Such an appetising mouthful, with red cherries, plums, wild strawberries and a succulent, mouthwatering finish tinged with thyme. A wine that's really focused on the freshness of the fruit, and all the better for it. Click to see full details | |
| Les Chemins de Carabote, Les Pierres qui Chantent | Terrasses du Larzac | 2020 | 93 | Upfront aromas of just-ripe black cherries and plums, herb-encrusted raspberries, pine, smoke and toast. Racy, juicy and vibrant in the mouth, with fresh red apple succulence. Chalky tannins, but they just lend a little bite. Really drinkable. Click to see full details | |
| Les Hautes Terres, Louis | Limoux | 2022 | 93 | Bright, distinct, pure and fruity aromas of apples, pears, white peach and elderflower. The palate is vibrant and alive, the focus is on the freshness of the fruit, which isn't marked by wood or elevage. There is a subtle roundness to the texture, and some toasty undertones, but the fruit plays centre stage and it's just lovely. A wine that's highly enjoyable now in its youth, but bright acidity will help it go the distance over the next five to seven years. Vinified in old demi-muids, foudres and ceramic jars. Click to see full details | |
| Lorgeril, Château de Ciffre | St-Chinian | 2021 | 93 | Brooding and plump fruit on the nose, plush blueberries and blackberries. Perfectly ripe fruit playing nicely with some spice. A lot of smoky herbs on the nose here too, dried thyme. Full bodied, with a very serious tannic framework. Really mineral and stony, slatey. From limestone soils at 350m. Click to see full details | |
| Mas Champart, Blanc | St-Chinian | 2021 | 93 | A wine with distinct notes of apple blossom, apple pie and lemony intensity. It has a soft, squishy mouthfeel and great textural complexity, a pithy and chalky sensation. Flavours of white blossom, pear and nut, this is delicate and poised with a seam of chalk through the middle. A blend of 30% Roussanne, 25% Grenache Blanc, 20% Marsanne, 10% Clairette, 10% Bourboulenc and 5% Viognier. Fermentation and ageing half in barrels and half in tank, with some lees stirring. Click to see full details | |
| Mas des Capitelles, Primus | Faugères | 2020 | 93 | Dark in colour and aroma, showing plush, deluxe notes of blueberry, blackberry and cherry. Sweet and very ripe, but it's delicious because it's tempered by silky and velvety tannins and balmy spices. Mint, thyme and juniper elongate the finish. Click to see full details | |
| Terres Falmet, Carignan | Vin de France | 2022 | 93 | Aromas that encompass both sweet fruit and deep savoury tones, where blackberry and Marmite come together elegantly. Dark and rich but not jammy, with succulent acidity and sweet pops of blackberry and raspberry fruit. Light dusty tannins. Not classified St Chinian but worth a mention due to its beautiful expression of Carignan. Click to see full details | |
| Terres Falmet, Cinsault | Vin de France | 2022 | 93 | Gorgeous, bright and vibrant, this is a fresh red that's quite light body, it could even take a chill. The profile is spicy with dark, salty fruit. Despite its lightness there's body and density, and lots of gushing freshness, not at all jammy. Pippy, grippy and dry. Not classified as St Chinian but worth a mention due to its supreme drinkability and energy, Click to see full details |