Languedoc’s Exceptional Cru: Terrasses du Larzac with Five Masterly Producers (6-Bottle Wine-Pack $236, All Included)

Sun-baked and sensual, threaded with rivers and capped by the mountains of Corbières, Languedoc-Roussillon relies on over a hundred grape varieties to produce more than a third of all French wine. Historically, this wine was copious, inexpensive and rather forgettable—everyday wine for the tables of ordinary people. Since the mid-twentieth century, however, with the advent of irrigation in the foothills and coastal plains of Southern France coupled with improved techniques, the region now boasts fewer vines that produce wines of increasing quality. A jigsaw of soils and a broad swath of microclimates creates ideal terroir for the warm-weather, full-bodied varietals often associated with the Rhône, while sharp diurnal shifts allow for the preservation of aroma and natural acidity, resulting in wines of extraordinary balance. A further plus is that Languedoc-Roussillon’s hot, dry climate discourages the growth of mildew and fungi, making synthetic pesticides and herbicides less necessary. As such, it has become a proving ground for organic and biodynamic producers.

Among the independent subdivisions of Languedoc-Roussillon, one rising star is rapidly becoming a supernova. Having been formed in 2005 and not officially recognized until 2014, Terrasses du Larzac contains some of the highest elevations in the Languedoc—vineyard plots snake along the Cévennes range and produce wines that are notably distinct from its nearest neighbors, including those from the oldest appellation in France, Roquefort. As in any appellation, the triad of requirements (location, location, location) takes advantage of Larzac’s verticality, horizontal layers of limestone and terraced shingles and unique position between the mountains and the sea, which allow the fruit to ripen slowly and evenly.

We are pleased to offer a selection of exceptional wines from Terrasses du Larzac for an all-inclusive price of $236. It’s an ideal sampler of the complexity and depth that the appellation has to offer. Included in Terrasses du Larzac 6-Bottle Package are one each of the following wines:

Domaine de Montcalmès
(2015) $43
Led by the dynamic young winemaker Frédéric Pourtalié who cut his winemaking teeth at Laurent Vaillé’s Grange des Pères and while serving under Syrah master Alain Graillot in Crozes-Hermitage, the vines of family-owned Domaine de Montcalmès are spread across sixty diverse acres from the commune of Puéchabon to nearby villages of Aniane and Saint Saturnin. Prior to Pourtalié and his sister Muriel taking the helm at Montcalmès, the domain sold grapes to the local cooperative. Under his direction, the estate has moved to intensive, hands-on viniculture in which the grapes are harvested with very low yields. Certified organic in 2015, the wines of Domaine de Montcalmès reflect the remarkable diversity of the subsoils, ranging from clay and limestone to puddingstones like those of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The climate, with cool nights and hot, sunny days, pampers the vines and produces a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre that remains bright with acidity and lush with spicy red fruits.

Domaine Saint Sylvestre
(2014) $31
Sophie and Vincent Guizard have roots in Terrasses du Larzac dating back generations; their pedigree includes both viticulture and business as Vincent learned to grow grapes from his grandfather and Sophie has a degree in finance. Having launched Domaine Saint Sylvester in 2010 from a minuscule trio of lots totaling less than twenty acres, the wines quickly showcased both talent and passion. Unlike many of proximate vineyards, which have been producing wine since the Roman era, Vincent cleared his own forested land just north of the village of Aniane and planted beneath the watchful eye of a 12^th century church. He vinifies using native yeasts and produces complex and aromatic wines in a blend typical of the appellation, 70% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre.

Mas Jullien “Lous Rougeos”
(2017) $47
Among the early pioneers of the modern ‘Larzac style’ is Olivier Jullien: His forty terraced acres, with two distinct soil types—calcaire and argilles—was established in 1985, and his domain, Mas Jullien, is a paradigm of the region. Having witnessed first-hand Languedoc’s tradition of over-cropping to produce bulk wine, he recognized that the economic plight of local independent farmers may have failed to take advantage of the appellations promise. With a degree in enology to shore up his conviction that the area had the potential to produce world-class wine, he showed his iconoclastic hand early by pulling out vineyards and re-planting trees in an effort to restore balance to the local ecosystem. His wines are delightful examples of this balance, imbued with the distinct characteristics permitted by elevation and proximity to the sea. The former lends jazzy bravura to the fruit—cherries, raspberries and red currants—while the latter offers the peculiar herbal-ness that the French call ‘garrigue’.

Mas Cal Demoura “Terre de Jonquières” (2017) $32
In Occitan, the native language of nearby Catalunya and Mediterranean France, ‘Cal Demoura’ means ‘we must not leave’—a reference to the number of winemakers in Languedoc who gave up viticulture in the 1970’s and ‘80s. Inspired by the renaissance in quality of those who refused to leave, Vincent Goumard—formerly a strategic consultant in Paris—purchased Mas Cal Demoura in 2000 and embarked on a modest, but explosive winemaking expedition near the village of Jonquières, producing around 4,000 cases annually. “Terre de Jonquières”, a flagship wine composed of 30% Mourvèdre, 25% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 15% Cinsault and 10% Carignan displays saturated black fruits and licorice with integrated tannins and the herbal notes that are representative of the AOC.

Mas Cal Demoura “Les Combariolles” (2017) $45
From the same producers Isabelle and Vincent Goumard, “Les Combariolles” originates from a single parcel located halfway between Jonquiéres and Montpeyroux and is named for the terroir: Combariolles is composed primarily of limestone, resulting in calcium-based soil with ideal water-retention properties for Cal Demoura’s hot-climate vines. The blend (equal parts Syrah and Mourvèdre, with Carignan at 15% and Grenache at 5%) spends 18 months in élevage. This is Cal Demoura’s flagship product, as refined and exotic a wine as the region can offer, with elegant notes of smoky black currant, pomegranate and plum wrapped in silken tannins with remarkable persistence on the palate.

Le Clos du Serres “Les Maros”
(2016) $24
In 2006, Béatrice, an architect, and Sébastien Fillon, currently the president of Syndicate AOC Terrasses du Larzac, pursued a lifelong dream: They abandoned the fast-paced lifestyle of urban France to purchase the forty-acre domain of Le Clos du Serres. “The South,” they maintain, “is the only region where there is still land to clear.” They discovered a wonderland of gorges and forests along with a world where community and winemaking are partners. To them, the move meant “being in harmony with nature, sculpting the countryside, caring for and loving the land on which we live.” Intended to express the fresh climate and geological puzzle of the village of Saint Saint-Julien-du-Serre, with 60% Grenache and a balance of equal parts Cinsault and Carignan, this wine is a sultry blend of toasted spice and luscious red fruit with aromatics of violets and clean graphite.

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Posted on 2021.03.25 in France, Languedoc-Roussillon