There are estates in the Languedoc that have been producing wine for so long, and from terroir so exceptional, that they deserve to be spoken of in the same breath as the great names of Bordeaux and Burgundy. Château Capion is one of them. Situated in the wild and dramatic landscape of the Hérault, where the garrigue-covered limestone hills of the Languedoc rise towards the Cevennes and the Mediterranean influence gives the wines a warmth, depth, and aromatic intensity that is entirely their own, Capion is an estate of quite extraordinary beauty and heritage — its history stretching back centuries, its vineyards planted on the kind of ancient, mineral-rich limestone soils that produce wines of a complexity and character that only great terroir can deliver. The Rouge is a classic southern French blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre — the holy trinity of the Languedoc and the Rhône — each variety contributing its own essential character: Grenache for warmth and generous red fruit, Syrah for structure, spice, and that deep, inky depth of colour, Mourvèdre for the savoury, garrigue-scented complexity that is the signature of the great southern French reds at their finest. The 2016 vintage — now a decade in bottle — is a wine that has arrived at exactly the right moment: the tannins refined and elegant, the fruit deepened and complexed by age into something richer and more complete than it could ever have been in its youth. Deep purple with violet reflections in the glass; an expressive nose dominated by forest fruits, with the spice and garrigue complexity that a decade of careful ageing brings. On the palate, a real fruit-burst — vivid, generous, and completely alive — followed by prolonged notes of spice and a finish of real elegance and persistence. At £39.99, it is the Languedoc at its most compelling, most characterful, and most completely itself.