The 2007 Tradition (red), a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Syrah, may be my favorite wine of the entire portfolio. Plenty of white flowers intermixed with creme de cassis and blackberry as well as licorice and a bit of pepper jump from the glass of this dense, richly fruity, medium to full-bodied wine, which has silky texture and loads of plumpness and succulence. It is a real southern fruit bomb to drink over the next 2-3 years. One of the sleeper selections of dry white wines in southern France is Mas Carlot’s 100% Clairette, which is actually entitled to its own appellation, and is made from vines planted in 1946.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

The 2006 Vin de Pays d’Oc Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah (80% of the former and 20% of the latter) was aged entirely in small oak. Classic creme de cassis notes dominate this cuvee, which comes across like a mid-level Bordeaux from Provence. Medium to full-bodied, with aromas of cedar and black currants, moderate tannin, and excellent depth, this well-made 2006 should drink nicely for another 2-3 years. Another top bargain producer in the Costieres de Nimes (they also make the wines reviewed under the moniker Mas des Bressades), Mas Carlot fashions very good to excellent, occasionally outstanding wines that all sell for a song.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

A Bordeaux-like effort, the 2005 Vin de Pays Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah (80% of the former and 20% of the latter) is barrique-aged. Possessing Cabernet’s cassis character along with hints of mint, incense, and cedar, it could easily be mistaken for a Medoc cru bourgeois. It, too, should be drunk over the next 5-6 years. This excellent estate in the Costieres de Nimes continues to turn out some superb bargain-priced wines that consumers should seek out for relief from increasingly higher prices as well as the weak dollar. The 2006 red wines all reveal zesty acidity, beautiful pure fruit, perhaps not the structure of the 2005s, but they are more friendly.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083

The 2003 VDP d’Oc Cabernet/Syrah (80% of the former and 20% of the latter) is aged in used small barriques. It is deep ruby/purple-tinged with hints of tobacco, black currants, earth, and herbs. In the mouth, the austere finish is typical of some of the 2003s where there were tannin management issues. I would drink it over the next 2-3 years.Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 832-9083