Château Vaugelas Nature GSM 2015 Corbières, Languedoc, France 75cl

Château Vaugelas is a Corbières estate in the Bonfils family stable, one of the larger and longer-established wine-growing families of the Languedoc, farming in the sun-baked, herb-scented hills inland from the Mediterranean.

This Nature cuvee is a southern French GSM, the Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre trio that defines so much of the region’s red wine. Grenache brings ripe, warming fruit, Syrah adds colour and pepper, and Mourvedre lends grip and a savoury edge, together making a wine that is generous and unpolished in the best sense.

The 2015 vintage in the Languedoc was warm and successful for reds, giving ripe, full-bodied wines with plenty of depth, and this bottle has the extra roundness that a little bottle age brings.

Expect a deep, full-bodied red with dark berry fruit, black pepper and the wild herb character the French call garrigue, all carried on a warm, rustic frame with soft, ripe tannins.

This is a red for the table and for cooler evenings, at home with grilled and roasted meats, sausages, hearty stews and mature cheese. If you enjoy the warmth of southern Rhône-style blends, Corbières offers the same appeal at friendly value.