For a long time there were two extreme options when it came to getting hold of French wine in this country. You could sell a couple of vital organs, illegally film your bank manager in compromising positions and consign at least one of your children into white slavery and then maybe, just maybe, you could by a bottle, possibly even two, of the big name stuff from places like Bordeaux and Burgundy.
 
Or at the other extreme you could contravene the Geneva Convention on chemical weapons and risk life and larynx by drinking the swill that comes from the vast mass production wine refineries in the country's lesser parts. But now there's a third option: exceptional quality French wine at a remarkably affordable price.
 
The label is Le Chat Noir and the last time French wine this good was this reasonably priced De Gaulle was playing with toy soldiers and Serge Gainsbourg was a virgin. The wines– there's a beautifully plush pinot noir and a mineral–edged sauvignon blanc– come from vineyards at an elevation of 400 metres on the slopes of the Aude Valley, making this one of the very few places in the south of France to experience cooling afternoon breezes and cold nights.
 
That results in wines of great definition, elegance and finesse. The pinot noir is deeply flavoured, full of dark cherries and rich, earthy notes while the sauvignon blanc is restrained, taut and a delicious alternative to that overblown Kiwi stuff. And at these prices they'll completely change the way you approach great French wine.
 
Vive le Revolution!!