Cellar notes #50: From the Languedoc

2002 Carignan, Vin de Pays des Coteaux du Peyriac, Domaine Rougié (£7.25, The Vine Trail, 0117 921 1770). Emmanuel de Soos elevates the carignan into a spicy, gutsy red with old vine richness and concentration.

2002 Carignan, Vin de Pays des Coteaux du Peyriac, Domaine Rougié (£7.25, The Vine Trail, 0117 921 1770). Emmanuel de Soos elevates the carignan into a spicy, gutsy red with old vine richness and concentration.

2002 Château Cazal Viel, Cuvée des Fées, St Chinian (£7.49, Waitrose). Aromatic syrah with peppery undertones of blackberry and Crozes-Hermitage-like sweet-savoury fruit.

2002 Pica Broca, La Sauvageonne (£8.50, Adnams, 01502 727222). A touch of oak brings polish to ex-UK sommelier Gavin Crisfield's spicy and concentrated, robust blend of syrah, grenache and carignan.

2000 Domus Maximus Château Massamier la Mignarde, Minervois La Livinière (£9.95, Berry Bros & Rudd, 0870 900 4300; Indigo Wines, 020-7733 8391). A smoky-scented blend of syrah and grenache, with angostura aromas and herby notes of the garrigue with ripe blackberry fruit and chunky tannins.

2001 Les Hauts de L'Enclos des Bories, Minervois La Livinière (£10.03, Tesco). A smooth blend of syrah, mourvèdre and grenache, full of intensely flavoured, spicy, blackberry fruitiness.

2000 Le Carignan, Vin de Pays du Mont Baudile (£13.15 per bottle in a case, A & B Vintners, Kent, 01892 724977). This is an individual, smoky, old-vine carignan with the ability to age, from Sylvain Fadat, the pioneer who put carignan back on the map.

2002 Château de la Negly, La Falaise (£129 a case, Genesis, 020-7963 9063). Concentrated and peppery, this blend of syrah, grenache, mourvèdre and carignan, is the affordable side of La Negly's iconic reds from la Clape.