Malepère: Chateau de Cointes Tradition Red

The Languedoc, though often referred to loosely as a single entity, is not a wine appellation in its own right but a broad Mediterranean region encompassing a wealth of individual appellations. Traditionally, labels carried the specific titles of Languedoc AOC and its numerous sub-regions, from Corbières and Minervois to Pic Saint-Loup and Faugères. Since January 2016, the historic Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées regions have been administratively merged into Occitanie, France's newest region. Stretching along the coast from the Rhône towards the Spanish border, the Languedoc is one of France's largest and most diverse wine-producing areas.

The westernmost appellation of the Languedoc, set on the elevated Massif de la Malepère at altitudes of up to 400 metres, where a temperate climate marks the transition towards the French South West. This unique position gives it a character closer to Bordeaux than to the wider Languedoc, and it specialises in Bordeaux varieties — the reds built chiefly on Merlot, alongside Cabernet Franc and Cot (Malbec), and rosés led by Cabernet Franc. Established as a VDQS in 1983 and granted full AOC status in 2007, it produces dry reds and rosés that must be blended from at least two permitted grapes. Its name derives from the 'bad stones' (mal pierre) that make its varied soils excellent for viticulture but hard to farm.