2022 Cadet de la Bégude Rouge IGP, Domaine de la Bégude

• Style: Southern Rhône Red Blend
• Taste: Black cherry, white pepper, fine tannins, bright acidity
• Food: Roasted duck, braised beef, rich stews, grilled lamb
• Occasion: Weeknight supper, Sunday lunch, casual entertaining
• Serve: 16–18°C, now or hold 5–7 years

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

Bright black cherry and mint spice leap from the glass, followed by a white-pepper finish that lingers. The palate carries ripe black fruit—plum and cherry—held lively by good acidity and fine tannins that give structure without grip. At 13.5% alcohol, this is a Full Bodied Red Wine that sits comfortably at the fuller end of medium, exactly where a Mediterranean blend should live. The 2022 vintage, despite a cool spring and brutal summer heat, concentrated its character beautifully by harvest.

The Winery — Domaine de la Bégude

Guillaume Tari, a seventh-generation winemaker raised at Château Giscours in Bordeaux, purchased this abandoned Provençal estate in 1996. Once a traveller's shelter—'beguda' means drink in the local tongue—the domain has been meticulously restored across 500 hectares, with thirty replanted predominantly in Mourvèdre. Tari's fascination with Mourvèdre's evolution in bottle led him to assemble the world's largest clone collection, now numbering 116. The Cadet comes from the youngest vines, ten years old on average, hand-harvested and twice-sorted, fermented cool in stainless steel with natural yeasts to preserve freshness and black-fruit purity. Organic certification arrived in 2006, reflecting working-wine discipline over ego.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

Roasted duck, braised beef short ribs, rich cassoulet, and grilled lamb are its natural companions. The spice and tannin structure cut through fat beautifully, while the fruit sustains across a full meal. This is the sort of reliable, flavourful France red you reach for when honest winemaking matters—perfect for weeknight suppers or a proper Sunday lunch. The vineyards sit 400 metres above sea level across eighty parcels of clay and limestone, which hold water through Mediterranean heat. If this resonates, explore the rest of our Provence selection and discover what else we've found at this level of organic, food-friendly winemaking.