Don't be fooled by the vin de table status into thinking this is a lowly wine: if it had appellation status it would sell for two to three times as much. The reason is that Xavier has sourced grapes from both the Languedoc and the Rhône to make this stunning wine, rich and full of complex fruit characters well balanced with vanilla oak and excellent structure. Drink any time over the next five years. Extremely impressive.

2007 to 2017

"100% Xavier" (as a VDT, Xavier is not allowed to state vintage or varieties used on the label. However, grapes used are as follows: 50% of the wine is made from Syrah, Merlot and Mourvèdre, and other half is made from Grenache, Caladoc, Marselan, Cinsault, and Carignan - grapes from more than 30 plots within 20 different sub-regions).

Too varied to be specific

From vintages 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005. Vines that have produced this wine have been tied in, even the Grenache (rarely found), in order to optimize foliar surface and so make richer grapes. Because of this, yields are all below 35hl/ha.

Traditional vinification with temperature controlling and ageing in French oak barrels for between 12 and 24 months, dependent on the variety.

14.3%

"Well, I've learnt that this is a blend of eight grape varieties. But Xavier Vignon isn't allowed to give any information on the label because this is a 'mere' vin de table. What the varieties are is still tasking me, but they're old French Rhone Valley performers on top form here. this has a fabulous aroma of Belgian milk chocolate that makes you think the wine will be soft and mellow, but it's strongly influenced by wind-blown stony dust and an insistent but surprisingly soft tannin. It has fascinating wild hillside seasoning of bay, thyme and rosemary all badgering the dark mulberry, sloe and blackberry fruit. Visceral stuff, a mixture of mature and young, herb and fruit, tannin and softness, youthful vigour and the more contemplative snug bar mellowness of age." (Oz Clarke's 250 Best Wines 2009)

"As the BRW company website states `Don`t be fooled by the vin de table status into thinking this is a lowly wine`. Made from an undisclosed array of grapes this is a gorgeous wine. Excellent aroma, superbly balanced palate - packed with complex flavours. Hearty tannins but so very drinkable and delicious. Worth every penny of the asking price." 92 points (Andrew Barrow, WineWritersExtra.com)

"Made by a master winemaker sourced from all sorts of places around Southern France mean this is really a wine without origin - it doesn’t fit into any geographical area and so becomes a plain old table wine - but what a table wine it is! A complex array of aromas on the nose - oak, cloves, cinnamon and oranges with liquorice, dark chocolate and dried fruits flavours rounding into a long smooth finish. Very good." (thewinepost.co.uk)

grande cuisine, red meat, white meat with sauce, cheese...