Mas de Daumas Gassac, Rouge, 2023

This is the wine that put the Languedoc on the fine-wine map. From their estate near Aniane in the Herault, Aime Guibert and family set out to prove Southern France could make something to sit alongside the great crus, planting cuttings of Cabernet Sauvignon from Chateau Haut-Brion and more on glacial limestone soils. The Rouge is famously made from a wild blend of up to 21 grapes each vintage, Cabernet-dominant but laced with rarities, which gives it impeccable balance, freshness and a cult following for its age-ability. Farmed organically from the beginning. The 2023 is built for the long haul, though decanting helps if you open one young.