Chateau Villemagne 2001 Corbieres

I picked up a case of this direct from the vineyard near Lagrasse in South West France.  Made by the owners Paulette and Roger Carbonneau, this wine is drinking very well now but will age a further 3-5 years no problem.

It is big, rich and smooth, still with that distinctive south west France 'ouvrier' basic and honest taste, but with a finesse that you don't often in AOC Corbieres wines.

It is a mix of Carignan, Grenache, Cinsaut and Syrah and would grace pretty much any meat dish, although would go perfectly with the local Cassoulet.

Only 3,600 bottles of this vintage were produced.  I just drank bottle number 00184.