The Jancis Robinson Story | Mission Blind Tasting | Wine writing competition

Languedoc-Roussillon & Provence – autumn collection

Image


See this guide to our autumn collections for how to get the most from our regional assortments of recent wine reviews.

We still maintain that the Languedoc-Roussillon is the source of many of France's best-value wines shaped by human hand and distinctive geography. 

The wines are grouped by colour, and then in declining score order to try to help you pick out the best value wines. Search for GV to identify those that struck us as bargains when we tasted them.

WHITE

From Tourbes, near Pezenas. Spritzy. Just a little watery. Not...

Good Viognier typicality: apricot, peach, lots of blossom...

Grenache Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc. Curious mix of fleshy stone...

Viognier and Marsanne. Real zest and interest on the nose...

Gosh, quite a price! I assume there is some smart oak involved...

The vines here grow on clay and chalky soils on the hilltops of...

Not much varietal aroma – a bit industrial on the nose. Then...

100% Chardonnay. Pneumatic press, cold settling, and 25%...
Two varieties of Clairette with a little Ugni Blanc and raised...

'The best parcel of Roussanne at Mas Christine'. Sweet and a tad...

50% Grenache Blanc, 30% Grenache Gris, 20% Maccabeu. Rather...

66% Grenache Gris, 34% Grenache Blanc. A really good mouthful...

40% Chardonnay, 42% Chenin Blanc, 18% Mauzac. Light nose and...

Bit light on the nose and a tad dull.

50:50 Roussanne and Vermentino. Smoky, off dry, with real...

Very neutral nose and broad palate. Could do with a bit more...

Easy and off dry. Well made but pretty industrial.

Old-vine Grenache Gris and Macabeu (average age 30 years)...
45% Grenache Blanc, 35% Grenache Gris, 20% Macabeu grown on clay...

Not much Viognier character. Too old?


ROSÉ

Soft and powdery nose. Just off dry. Very pretty pale pinky...

75% Mourvèdre with 15% Cinsault and 10% Grenache. Made in a tiny...


RED

Crimson and not that dense. Mid crimson. Treacle notes with...

Very pure cordial style fruit. Smells like it needs dilution...

Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah. Sweet oak, ripe...

Pretty quiet nose. Some black cherry and blackcurrant leaf on...

Quite suppressed and slightly hot. Decent enough as a house wine...

Merlot, Grenache, Carignan. Juicy blackberry jam fruit, sweet...

60% Syrah and 40% Carignan, harvested with a yield of 35hl/ha...
60% Cabernet Franc, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, grown organically...

Sweaty, reductive, rustic, tender and intriguing. Stylish –...

Slightly wild nose: flirting with dirtiness. Better black fruit...

60% Cinsault. Mid crimson. Very fruity and pretty – sweet and...

Very dark crimson. A bit reduced with a chewy end. Hard work –...

Luscious, intense, and fantastically concentrated. Lots of...

Ch Pibarnon's winemaker. Dense and not reduced. Solid and warm....

Concentrated and just a little chunky and youthful. Brooding for...

Very dark. Seductively well knit with a real beginning, middle...

Sweet and transparent. Correct but a little austere at the...

Succulent and dry on the end. Good texture. It would be fab at...

From a single vineyard of centenarian vines. Unfiltered and...

80% Syrah, 20% Grenache. Classic low-temperature vinification...
20-year-old Grenache, 20-year-old Syrah, 45-year-old Carignan...
A blend of 30-year-old Carignan, with 40-year-old Cinsault...

100% Syrah. From an organically farmed vineyard. The fruit is de...

Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre blend from Narbonne-Plage. Blackish...

Mid crimson. Lightly cheesy. Then lots of richness and kerpow...
Demeter. Grenache and Syrah blend from vines grown at 400 m...
Mostly Mourvèdre and Syrah with Carignan and Grenache in support...
Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Dark ruby. Some evolution at the...
Lovely sweet richness – surely Grenache? Yes 65% (with 20% Syrah...

60% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 20% Carignan. Robust and well made...

Carignan. A bit tarted up and over the oaky top. Chewy end.

Polish and sinewy and lively. See earlier tasting note.

85% Syrah with 15% Grenache from vineyards planted on hard and...

50% Syrah, 40% Carignan and 10% Grenache and Mourvèdre. Vines...

40% Carignan, 30% Grenache Noir, 15% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre...

Round and gentle – fully evolved. Very firm finish though after...

55% Syrah, 45% Grenache. Sweet and scented with a suggestion of...

Hint of oak on top of the fruit. Not especially distinguished...

From Tautavel. pH 3.83. Grenache and Carignan co-fermented in...

A blend of Carignan, Syrah and Grenache. Deep crimson. Ripe...

Schist, slate and chalky soils soils, 60% old-vine Grenache, 30%...
75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Carignan grown on schist, clay and...
Organic wine. Grown on acidic schistous soils on the slopes of...

‘Tiny bunches of Grenache and Carignan’ according to the back...

Also owned by Catherine Roque of Domaine Clovallon. Sweet gentle...

Brigitte Chevalier. Soft ruby. Sweet and round, very juicy and...
Become a member or log in to continue reading
Member
$135
/year
Save over 15% annually
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
  • Access 296,934 wine reviews & 16,149 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Access askJancis, our AI wine assistant
Inner Circle
$249
/year
 
Ideal for collectors

Everything in “Member”, plus:

  • Early access to the latest wine reviews, 48 hours in advance
  • Early access to the latest articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
  • Access 296,934 wine reviews & 16,149 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Access askJancis, our AI wine assistant
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade

Everything in “Professional”, plus:

  • Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
  • Access to submit wines for review
  • Offer memberships to your employees and manage them from a single place
  • API access available for an additional fee
Pay with
Visa logo Mastercard logo American Express logo Logo for more payment options
Join our newsletter

Get the latest from Jancis and her team of leading wine experts.

By subscribing you agree with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

More Tasting articles

Sadie Family winery exterior
Tasting articles A revealing vertical that traces the evolution of South Africa’s most sought-after white. The wines were shown by UK importer...
Léoville Barton - line-up of wines for vertical tasting
Tasting articles A quarter-century of wines from a legendary Bordeaux estate. See also this guide to our bordeaux verticals . Although Château...
Harvest at Robert Weil by Peter Quirin.jpg
Tasting articles A year of extraordinary balance, bright acidity and some of the best Gutsweine in recent memory. Plus a whole lot...
Monty on the beach at Betty’s Bay, near Hemel-en Aarde
Tasting articles Coolness and light in bottles from some of South Africa’s best producers. Above, Monty enjoys the cool surf in Betty’s...

More from JancisRobinson.com

Valle de Guadalupe vineyards
Inside information Mexico’s wine industry offers lessons in dealing with climate challenges, says Mexico-based journalist and sommelier Carlos Borboa. Above, vineyards in...
Richard Hemming and Hiromi Ohno outside Sushi Oono
Vinomakase Richard’s new Vinomakase column explores how the experts match wine with Japanese cuisine. For the first edition, a traditional sushi...
Markus and Eben Sadie at Berry Bros April 2026
Free for all Leading new-wave South African wine producer is looking to the future. A version of this article is published by the...
Hops hang from the ceiling at Dylan's at The Kings Arms in St Albans
Bite-sized A 15th-century pub with bang-up-to-date feasting in the Cathedral Quarter of St Albans. The front bar is still reassuringly pubby...
Person in Domaine Sérol's vineyards in the Côte Roannaise (credit Le Bon Cliché)
Wines of the week Thirst-slaking freshness in a red from Central France. From £15.50, $26.95. For a variety so maligned for much of the...
CWL Wines of Brazil over map
Book reviews Three additions to the Classic Wine Library plus a self-published guide to Portuguese wine. Three of the reviews below are...
Sam Neill
Free for all Jancis remembers the most charming wine producer she has ever met. Above, Neill in his Two Paddocks vineyard. The worlds...
A glass of Sauvignon Blanc at an airport bar
Free for all After a first round of judging, we’re delighted to begin publishing the best of this year’s writing competition entries. All...
Wine inspiration delivered directly to your inbox, weekly
Our weekly newsletter is free for all
By subscribing you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.