2009 LA 50/50 Vin de Table Domaine Anne Gros et Jean-Paul Tollot

It’s as if these two winemakers from Burgundy have run away to the South of France and created something great for the village party. The name of the wine, La 50/50, refers to the winemakers partnership rather than the blend and Anne Gros asks on her website, “Is it love at first sight? Absolutely!” There’s a sunny joyousness about this wine from the Languedoc and a sort of recklessness that appeals: it has all the spicy richness of the Languedoc but with the weight and core minerality you expect from her Vosne-Romanee (the Minervois vineyard is at the same altitude as Gros’ vineyards in Burgundy, although this does not explain the weight: I’d say the style has more to do with the deftness of the winemakers). A blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan, it is labelled as Vin de Table, or the lowest classification, where it is illegal to show the vintage on the label – although they have, trickily, in the form of “Lot no: 2009″.

Cinsault, Carignan, Grenache. Intensity and tension here. Lovely softness. Full of southern appeal with a burgundian polish. Long and reverberant. GV   16.5

This “table wine” is made in the Minervois by two celestially regarded Burgundy producers who are also partners and it is wonderful. It’s made from carignan, cinsault plus grenache and the Burgundian influence is evident in its gorgeous silky flow. There’s also an underlying energy and minerality: superb.