Minervois: Domaine Pierre Cros Le Barthas

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.

One of the most prestigious sub-regions of the Languedoc, holding AOC status since 1985, and sits north of the Canal du Midi between Carcassonne and Narbonne. Shaped like an amphitheatre bordered by the Montagne Noire, its varied soils of clay, schist, and pebbles and its high elevations create numerous microclimates ideal for viticulture. The region specialises in full-bodied dry reds - around 94% of production - built chiefly on Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Carignan, showing black and red fruit alongside earthy notes of leather, game, and garrigue.