Domaine Le Roc’s “La Folle Noire d’Ambat” is the sort of bottle I’ll never get tired of selling. In my restaurant days, I got as much of a thrill pouring an affordable, unheard-of bottle like today’s as I did selling luxury Bordeaux or Barolo to a table of big shots. 

This bottling, from an obscure variety that displays a black-purple hue with dark, punchy, peppery, Syrah-like aromas, will elicit euphoric smiles from everyone who tries it. Moreover, its story just begs to be told tableside: With roots tied to the Knights Templar, the Négrette grape has become virtually extinct everywhere except deep in the heart of France’s South West. It is here in Fronton—an AOC built around this peculiar grape—where Domaine Le Roc ensures their modest Négrette holdings are farmed organically, fermented naturally, and aged in old foudres. Unique, affordable, and loaded with dense soil character, a glass of Le Roc’s Négrette is a quick and affordable rejoinder for anyone who claims wine is stuffy, boring, or overpriced. Not only will it get any neophyte excited about wine, but it will also remind any jaded connoisseur why they fell in love with the French reds in the first place!

If you’ve ever traveled to South West France, you’ve probably had Négrette. It’s synonymous with Toulouse, the country’s fourth-largest city and one of its gastronomic capitals. Just north of here is Fronton, where nearly all the world’s remaining Négrette is planted (strangely, there are actually two small plantings in California). It is the quintessential bistro wine there; in fact, locals describe it as “the Beaujolais of Toulouse.” But its roots are ancient and mysterious. No one knows the exact origin of Négrette, but the leading theory is that it was brought over from Cyprus by the Knights Templar in the 12th century. It’s now closely intertwined with the DNA of the varieties in South West France, apparently being a relative of both Cahors’ Malbec and Minervois’ Tannat. Wherever it first came from, the producers of Fronton are now fiercely committed to the variety: The bottlings carrying the Fronton AOC must contain at least 50% Négrette, plus every producer in the appellation must have at least 50% Négrette in their vineyards. No other appellation I know of has such a requirement.

In these poor, gravelly soils—not unlike nearby Bordeaux—the Ribes family has been farming their Négrette grapes since 1974. Brothers Jean-Luc and Frederic have been in charge since 1988 and were the first to bottle their own wines rather than sell fruit to the co-op. Neither had much experience in wine growing, which was counterintuitively for the best. They allowed grass to grow between their vines and sheep to graze the vineyards in the winter—practices that are now commonplace in organic viticulture but in the ’80s were deemed bizarre by neighbors. Frederic has served as president of the appellation, and while most other producers blend their Négrette with Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah for more power, they elect to bottle theirs—entirely from the single vineyard of “Ambat”—on its own. As you can see, they’re relentless advocates for Négrette. In the cellar, fermentation occurs spontaneously and the resulting wine is transferred into older foudres for 10 months before bottling. 

This is a bottle so delightful it’s impossible to put down. It’s a near-opaque purple in the glass, the brooding color belying the joy and lift within. The nose is a mélange of red and purple fruits: black cherry, huckleberry, Damson plum, blackberry, blackcurrant. An almost Syrah-like commingling of violet, black pepper, and smoke poke through and something faintly vegetal, like the leaves of a blackberry bush. The fruit on the palate is soft and ample with moderate tannins providing structure and elevated acid keeping things fresh through the finish. This is no mass-produced plonk; there’s a soulfulness, a faint hint of rustic earthiness, rarely found in a bottle at this price. But its appeal is broad: if you like Northern Rhône Syrah, Cahors, Loire Cabernet Franc, outer-borough Bordeaux, there’s something here for you. Serve it with a slight chill at 60 degrees in Bordeaux stems and let it be a showstopper next to some Toulouse-style cassoulet. Pretty soon, you’ll wish there was more Négrette planted in the world!