Montpeyroux: Villa Dondona 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.

One of the Languedoc's finest hidden gems, a small appellation in the Hérault set on high-altitude terraced vineyards at the foot of the Larzac Plateau. Though not far from the Mediterranean, its stony, chalky soils and cooling northern breezes give elevations of 140 to 280 metres that allow the wines to retain a mouth-watering acidity alongside ripe fruit. The reds - Montpeyroux's speciality - are led by the classic Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre blend, balanced and food-friendly with real fruit purity, with Cinsault and Carignan also permitted. Increasingly cherished by connoisseurs, Montpeyroux ranks among the very best of the Languedoc.