This region in southwestern France is a treasure trove of value: Few places in the world can match it for excellent under-$20 bottles that boast the radiant acidity and bold intensity to elevate everything from burgers to herb-flecked leg of lamb.

Today, weve got the pick of the litter: the 2020 S. Delafont Mosaque Red. A practically unmatchable combination of panache and price, this wine pulled down a MAJOR 95-point score and Gold Medal honors at the Decanter World Wine Awards after undergoing a rigorous blind tasting by Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers, with the medal confirmed by the competitions co-chairs.

Those judges responded to the same richness and depth thats made this old-vine blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvdreculled from two of the Languedocs top appellations, La Clape and Terrasses du Larzaca food-pairing darling at Champeaux Les Halles in Paris and the MICHELIN-starred Maison dUzs in the Midi. Its an unbelievable steal at our best-in-the-nation price, this is a case-buy if there ever was one.

Samuel Delafont, the winemaker and founder of S. Delafont, was perfectly positioned to play showman for the Languedocs greatest vineyards.

Beginning in 2000, he started an export company that helped wineries in the region find and build markets for their wines. Ten years later, when he got the bug to move to the production end, he began to apply his detailed knowledge of the regions finest holdings.

Delafont modeled his operation after the great ngociants of Burgundy and the Rhne Valley, partnering with small growers to source juice that met his exacting standards, and working only with farmers who employ biodynamic, sustainable, and organic practices in their vineyards. He blends and ages the cuves on-site at his own facility, employing small-lot vinification techniques on what are almost always limited-edition bottlings.

For this 2020 release, grapes harvested in September underwent a long maceration period of over 30 days, a process often used to soften the tannins in Syrah and Mourvdre. The majority of the wine was aged in stainless-steel tanks designed by Delafont himself, while a small amount rested in French oak.

Broad, generous, and complex on the palate, this is a wine to dial up by the case and pour with everything: ratatouille, steak frites, goat cheese and aged Comt, and just about anything else you can conjure up. At this price, you cant make a mistake.