1998 Cha^teau de la Negly “Cuvee de la Co^te,” Co^teaux du Languedoc, Languedoc

Deep purple in color, with a fresh appealing nose of cherries and plums and a lush, velvety texture, this is a delightful, easy-drinking red, the perfect party wine. Fans of hard-core Rho^ne wines should appreciate the cuvee, a blend of 35% old-vine Carignan, 25% Grenache Noire, 25% Alicante Bouschet, 10% Tempranillo and 5% Syrah, all hand-harvested and aged in French oak.

The Languedoc long produced little but cheap, mediocre wines. This wine’s price tag shows the old reputation lingers; a wine as well made as this would certainly cost more if it came from another region of France.

About $8. Available at fine wine shops. If you can’t find this wine, have your retailer contact the distributor, Don Schliff at Wine Warehouse, (323) 724-1700, Ext. 213.