2003 Beau-Thorey ‘Danse des Ceps’ Côteaux du Languedoc

From a small property in the Côteaux du Languedoc in southern France, Christophe Beau of Beau-Thorey, a somewhat new player in the Languedoc, is making a super red called “Danse des Ceps.” It’s a blend of Syrah and Cinsault from vines that are, on average, more than half a century old. So the juice is concentrated and complex, giving this deep purple-red wine the taste of fresh, smashed blackberries. It’s not jammy, though. The effect is pure, cool fruit with soft, round tannins. Uncork a bottle to drink with a Provençal daube de boeuf with olives and thyme, with grilled lamb chops, or a Moroccan lamb tagine with prunes.

Quick swirl

Region: Languedoc.

Price: About $16

Style: Intense and concentrated

Food it goes with: Daubes and beef stews, grilled chops, lamb tagines

Where you find it: Silverlake Wine in Los Angeles, (323) 662-9024, www.silverlakewine.com; Vicente Foods in Brentwood, (310) 472-5215; the Vintage Shoppe in Playa del Rey, (310) 822-1138, www.vintageshoppela.com; Wine Exchange in Orange, (714) 974-1454 and (800) 76WINEX, www.winex.com; the Wine House in West Los Angeles, (310) 479-3731, www.winehouse.com.

--S. Irene Virbila