A scent of ripe blackberries is followed by a light, black-fruited palate. Simple, easy-drinking style. Now-2011

Product Code: VIC408

The Vic family - Jérome, Robert, Bruno, brothers, cousins etc - are very large landowners in the Languedoc. Their main cellar is like a hamlet, ranged round an enormous courtyard. Yet it is still very much a family-owned estate, and every wine comes with some variant of the Vic name on the label, although the vineyards are quite far-flung around Beziers.

We continue with a range of house wines: a white, rosé and red under the Mas de Canal label, bottled under screw-cap. These are all skilful blends: the white a tutti frutti mix; the rosé from Grenache and Cinsaut; and the red from a cocktail of southern varieties plus Merlot. We make no great claims for them; these are just clean, well-made wines of lowish alcohol and easy-drinking style. We also continue with the family’s excellent Merlot: juicy and fresh, this exemplifies all this variety’s charm. This year we have also added two more wines. The Reserve white is really worth trading up to, an aromatic and fruity wine based on the excellent Vermentino (= Rolle), with some Grenache Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat. This will make lovely drinking when the weather warms up.  We also list a Petit Verdot: this deep-coloured, black-fruited grape is better known as a valuable blending grape in Bordeaux, but as it barely ripens there it makes more sense to plant it in the Languedoc!