Thierry Navarre Le Laouzil, Saint Chinian 2022

The schist soils in the northern reaches of St Chinian are not shy about making their mark, and this wine shows it: firm structure, savoury depth and a sense of place you can almost map. Thierry Navarre brings his natural-wine sensibility to the blend, but does so with restraint and skill - no murk, no funk, just clarity of fruit and texture. Expect dark berries, dried herbs and a mineral edge, wrapped in ripe but steady tannins. It's a wine that feels both rugged and precise, with Navarre's light hand giving definition to the region's natural power.

Best with robust food - grilled lamb, cassoulet, or hard cheeses - where the wine's savoury depth finds its match.

Thierry Navarre farms 12 hectares of schist in Roquebrun, Saint-Chinian, where he has become one of the Languedoc's best-known natural wine producers. He works organically and keeps intervention in the cellar to a minimum, reviving near-forgotten grapes such as Ribeyrenc, Oeillades and Terret. The wines are fresh, fragrant and lighter than most from the region, with a character that feels unforced and individual. Among natural wine enthusiasts, Navarre's bottles have an almost cult following for their honesty and sense of place.