The wine regions of Southwest France are a diverse lot. Their one unifying characteristic is that they are all not Bordeaux, from the slopes of the Pyrenees to the village of Cocumont in the Côtes du Marmandais just a five minute drive from the border with Bordeaux. The French government still pays growers here to pull their vines out of the ground, so when Elian Da Ros elected to start a winery in 1998 there was not much of a script to follow. The Marmandais offers growers a mixed palette of Bordeaux varieties, grapes imported from other regions, and local curiosities. Elian works with all of them, but for this bottling he blends 50% Cabernet Franc with 30% Merlot and 20% Syrah. The result is a wine that has all the grace, depth, and structure of Bordeaux, but with a warmer aspect. Aromas of blackberry and raspberry compete with notes of charcoal-smoked meat, roasted bell pepper, clay and wildflowers. The palate is full and set with finely carved, sturdy tannins, suffused with ripe dark berries, baker’s chocolate, pepper, earth and oak spices. Elian says: “In the Southwest, we have to make wines twice as good at half the price…” and we think he’s succeeded with this one.