Domaine de Marcoux Vin de France Raisin de Loup NV (3 Bottles) Lirac, France

Organic. Marcoux’s sharply priced Vin de France is drawn from two small plots of land in the southern reaches of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This zone lies on the alluvial plain between the river Rhône and the Châteauneuf region proper. Historically it’s where local vignerons often kept their small acreages of Vin de Table (now Vin de France) vines.

The blend is Grenache and Syrah, complemented by a dollop of Caladoc—an obscure crossing of Grenache and Malbec. Sophie Armenier explains that with this wine she wants to craft, first and foremost, a delicious, everyday red. With natural fermentation and aging in cement vats, there’s only a gentle extraction and no oak influence.

From the 2019 (labelled as NV) you can expect a fresh, punchy and eminently gluggable wine that delivers waves of earthy plum, raspberry compote and fruity fig notes. There are some lovely, powdery tannins and a spicy, generous, Southern Rhône close. Bright acidity keeps everything fresh and vibrant. Armenier calls this her “Petit Rhône”. We call it a bargain.

For those wondering, the name Raisin de Loup translates roughly as ‘grapes of the wolf’, the patois term for the black nightshade that grows around the vines in the region.