Hamish Anderson Hearty Languedoc reds to match meaty comfort food

There is a strange dynamic to how we encounter the wines of the Languedoc. Many people will have been to this region in southern France on a summer holiday when it is warm, and so gravitate towards the region’s excellent rosés or its most well-known white: the simple, but ideal-for-holiday-supping Picpoul de Pinet. It is only when back in the UK that we reach for the Languedoc’s reds, and it’s these which make up by far the greatest proportion of what is made there. The wines are hard to categorise, as this is a huge area with a large amount of vineyards. It is also an innovative one, so alongside classic southern French varieties like grenache, mourvèdre and syrah are interlopers like cabernet sauvignon. When made from the traditional varieties, the wines are distinct and speak of earth, herbs and dark fruit – they have a wildness to them. They can have sophistication but are far removed from the suave understatement of, say, great bordeaux. Their warmth and personality is just the kind of thing I want from a bottle on a damp February day. Food-wise, they also seem to sync with this time of year: the slow-cooked oxtail stew in the pages overleaf would be ideal. 2015 Saint-chinian, Les Hauts de Saint Martin £6.99, Co-op Few other regions can produce a wine of this personality at this price: expect smoke, dark plums and earth. 2013 Minervois Cuvée Olric, Château Cesseras £9, Booths Deep, brooding and powerful with blackberries and Asian spice, again this is great value for money. 2012 Cadette, Domaine Les Mille Vignes £22.50, or £270 for a case of 12, stannarywine.com This has a hefty dose of the usually burly mourvèdre in it, yet is fragrant, complex and utterly beguiling.