Talented winemaker Mark Hoddy loves to explore the wilds of southern France in search of special vineyard plots. Then, he takes the grapes back to his Bordeaux winery, Le Chai au Quai (a “fabulous venture,” writes Decanter), where he crafts unique, first-class wines alongside Château Haut-Brion-trained winemaker Jean Marc Sauboua.

Mark’s latest mission? A stylish southern French Cabernet with loads of black-fruit flavor—and a top-value price tag. No easy feat. But take a sip of Belle Roche, and we think you’ll see that he’s accomplished his goal.

Previous vintages have scooped major acclaim, including “French Wine of the Year” at the China Wine & Spirits Best Value Awards and a gold medal from France’s premier wine guide, Gilbert & Gaillard. The new 2022 release is every bit as impressive—and also sports a gold medal from Gilbert & Gaillard.

As with a fine Bordeaux, we recommend you decant the wine an hour before serving to soften the tannins and open up all those lovely black-fruit flavors. And just like Bordeaux, Belle Roche was made to be enjoyed with food. It will be delicious with a juicy steak, rack of lamb, and even hearty stews or casseroles.

In 1855, the Overland stage from Tonto to Lordsburg leaves town with eight people on board. In the front, sit Buck the driver and Marshal Curley Wilcox, who is riding shotgun to protect the stage from hostile Indians and from the Plummer brothers, a vicious band of outlaws. The passengers consist of Doc Josiah Boone, the town drunk; Dallas, a woman of ill repute, who, like Doc, has been banished from town; the pregnant Lucy Mallory, who is taking the stage to meet her husband, a cavalry officer, and is treated gallantly by her fellow passenger, Hatfield, a gambler; Gatewood, the town's sanctimonious banker who mouths respectability while clutching a carpet bag filled with stolen money; and Peacock, a timid whiskey drummer. Because of an Apache uprising by Geronimo, the cavalry escorts the coach to the first station at Dry Fork. Along the way, Buck stops to pick up the Ringo Kid, who has escaped from prison to seek revenge on the Plummers, who killed his family and sent him to jail on false testimony. After Curley arrests Ringo, the stage continues on to Dry Fork, where they discover that there are no troops to escort them farther. Voting to continue on alone, they reach the next stop, where their journey is delayed when Mrs. Mallory, learning that her husband has been wounded, goes into premature labor. Doc sobers up to deliver the baby, and as they await Mrs. Mallory's recovery, Dallas and Ringo fall in love and Dallas urges Ringo to escape. Ringo is on the verge of leaving when he sees Apache war signals, and the passengers hastily board the stage to make a desperate dash to Lordsburg. Just as they think the danger has passed, the Apaches attack at a dry lake bed, wounding Peacock and Buck and killing Hatfield. At the last minute, the cavalry rides to the rescue and escorts the stage to Lordsburg, where Gatewood is arrested for embezzlement. There, Curley grants Ringo his freedom so that he can avenge the murder of his family, and after gunning down the Plummers, Ringo and Dallas ride off into the night to begin life anew at his ranch across the border.