d’Aupilhac is another great Languedoc property lost in time and space. Sylvain Fadat’s Domaine is old enough to have known the passing of Roman boots. Looking at the steep, trellised vineyards, one could easily be forgiven for believing that Jupiter himself carved them into the hillside with a volley of thunderbolts. The truth is that Sylvain did it himself. He didn’t hire an excavator. Rather, he climbed up there and demonstrated his commitment to just bloody doing it right. Now he has high-altitude vineyards (1200 feet above sea level) with soil rich in Cocalières (ancient deposits of fossilized marine creatures) that produce wines that are not only among the most stunning in the Languedoc, but some of the finest examples of terroir-driven wines to be found anywhere in France.

Ok, so the vineyards are in place, the ancient winery is making wine – what’s next? Sylvain goes organic – undertaking the arduous three-year certification process himself. He manages his vineyards with extreme attention. They’re plowed constantly. No easy task given their elevation and the rocky soil composition. But he insists that doing so forces the vines to search for water and nutrients, thus developing a powerful root system capable of producing grapes of great balance – acid, sugars and tannins all coexist in a perfect state of suspension.

‘Le Carignan’ is powerful, elegant stuff. Silky, sweet tannins, ripe black cherry, fig and plum, bits of tobacco and tar. This is one of the coolest examples of Carignan you’ll ever taste. Whisps of campfire smoke, bits of tobacco and leather, and a streak of minerality all float above fantastic acidity. It has length and complexity to spare, and it will age very well for 8 to 10 years. If you want to really get some millage out of this wine, buy a few more bottles (3 to 6, a case if you can swing it). Don’t touch another bottle for 2 or three years. After that, drink one every 6 months or so. You’ll witness a stunning evolution.