Mas Jullien ★ 4.9
Terrasses du Larzac AOC and Languedoc AOCCarignan, Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault, Chenin Blanc, Carignan Blanc18 haFounded 1985Olivier JullienWinemaker Olivier JullienBiodynamic PracticingTerrasses du Larzac
Terrasses du Larzac pioneer founded in 1985 by Olivier Jullien at Jonquieres west of Montpellier when he was barely 20, now 18 hectares of varied-soil parcels worked biodynamically without certification (the estate held organic certification until 2006, then renounced it).
Tasting: Cellar tastings extremely limited; mailing-list allocation only
Signature wines: Autour de Jonquieres, Mas Jullien Etats D Ame, Carlan
Tip: The bottles are scarce: mailing-list only, and Autour de Jonquieres is the most-allocated bottle; Etats d'Ame is the upper-tier cellar release.
Terrasses du Larzac AOC and Languedoc AOCSyrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsault, Vermentino, Roussanne, Marsanne, Chenin BlancIsabelle and Vincent GoumardWinemaker Vincent GoumardBiodynamic PracticingORGANIC CERTIFIEDTerrasses du Larzac
Terrasses du Larzac estate originally founded by Jean-Pierre Jullien (Olivier Jullien's father) and taken over in 2004 by Isabelle and Vincent Goumard at Jonquieres, working biodynamic principles on Larzac-foothill terroir.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Jonquieres by appointment
Signature wines: Terre de Jonquieres, Les Combariolles, Cal Demoura L Infidele
Tip: Terre de Jonquieres is the appellation flagship; Les Combariolles is the older-vine prestige cuvee.
IGP Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert and IGP HeraultCabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Tannat, Viognier, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Petit Manseng44 haFounded 1971Guibert familyWinemaker Samuel GuibertTerrasses du Larzac
Aniane estate founded in 1971 by Aime and Veronique Guibert on the Gassac valley's glacial-powder geology, classified IGP Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert and IGP Herault rather than AOC across 44 hectares of vines amid roughly 4,000 hectares of surrounding Mediterranean forest. Aime Guibert died in 2016 and the estate is now run by sons Samuel, Gael, Roman and Basile Guibert, with Samuel as head winemaker.
Tasting: Cellar tour and tasting at Aniane Monday to Saturday year-round
Signature wines: Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge, Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc, Faune Blanc
Tip: Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge is a Cabernet Sauvignon-led blend that routinely ages 25 to 40 years; the white (Viognier-Chardonnay-Petit Manseng) is a small-allocation cellar candidate.
Limoux AOC and Cremant de Limoux AOCChardonnay, Pinot Noir, Mauzac, Chenin BlancFounded 2004Fort familyWinemaker Pierre FortLimoux
Limoux estate founded in 2004 by Marie-Claire and Pierre Fort at Roquetaillade in the Aude valley south of Carcassonne, working still Limoux Chardonnay and Cremant de Limoux from the Pyrenean foothills.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Roquetaillade by appointment
Signature wines: Limoux Blanc, Crémant de Limoux Brut Nature, Pinot Noir Haute Vallée de l'Aude
Tip: The still Limoux Chardonnay at altitude (Roquetaillade vines around 400 metres) cellars for 8 to 12 years; the Cremant is a smaller-production bottling.
Blanquette de Limoux AOC and Cremant de Limoux AOC and Limoux AOCMauzac, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Pinot NoirAntech familyLimoux
Limoux family sparkling-wine house at Domaine de Flassian near Limoux, producing both Blanquette de Limoux (Mauzac-led) and Cremant de Limoux (Chardonnay-Chenin-Mauzac-Pinot Noir) under the Antech label.
Tasting: Cellar tour and tasting at the Flassian cellar Monday to Friday 8am to 12pm and 2pm to 6pm
Signature wines: Brut Nature Blanquette de Limoux, Cuvée Eugénie Crémant de Limoux Extra Brut, Legacy Extra Brut Crémant de Limoux
Tip: Cuvee Francoise (Cremant) is the volume export; Cuvee Eugenie (Blanquette) is the traditional Mauzac sparkling that defines the appellation.
Blanquette de Limoux AOC and Cremant de Limoux AOC and Limoux AOCMauzac, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Pinot NoirFounded 1946270 grower cooperative membersLimoux
Limoux's largest sparkling-wine cooperative, founded in 1946 and now representing roughly 1,200 hectares of vineyard across 270 grower members, producing Blanquette de Limoux, Cremant de Limoux and the auction-only Toques et Clochers terroir-Chardonnay range.
Tasting: Cellar tour and tasting at the Limoux cooperative cellar year-round
Signature wines: Première Bulle Blanquette de Limoux, Toques et Clochers Terroir Haute-Vallée, Toques et Clochers Crémant de Limoux Brut
Tip: The Toques et Clochers terroir series (auctioned annually in spring) is the cellar's prestige Chardonnay range; Premiere Bulle is the volume Cremant.
Limoux AOC and Cremant de Limoux AOC and Blanquette de Limoux AOCChardonnay, Mauzac, Chenin Blanc, Pinot NoirPanman familyORGANIC CERTIFIEDLimoux
Limoux estate at Cepie south of Carcassonne run by the Dutch-British Panman family, certified organic and bottling the three Limoux white grapes (Chardonnay, Mauzac, Chenin) as single-variety wines under the Trilogie series (Odyssee, Occitania, Dedicace).
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Cepie by appointment
Signature wines: Odyssée Chardonnay, Occitania Mauzac, Dédicace Chenin Blanc
Tip: The single-variety trilogy (Odyssee Chardonnay, Occitania Mauzac, Dedicace Chenin) is the clearest tasting flight of the Limoux still whites.
Limoux AOC and Cremant de Limoux AOC and IGP Pays d'OcChardonnay, Pinot Noir, Mauzac, Chenin BlancGerard BertrandDemeter CertifiedORGANIC CERTIFIEDLimoux
Limoux estate at Roquetaillade in the Pyrenean foothills, founded by Jean-Louis Denois in the 1980s, then owned by Antonin Rodet, then acquired by Gerard Bertrand in 2007, with biodynamic certification on the wines under the current ownership.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Roquetaillade in the Gerard Bertrand visit programme
Signature wines: Aigle Royal Chardonnay, Domaine de l'Aigle Pinot Noir, Domaine de l'Aigle Chardonnay
Tip: Aigle Royal Chardonnay is the upper-tier still Limoux Chardonnay and a Decanter-favoured cool-climate Languedoc white.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Manseng, Viognier, Chenin BlancAppointment onlyAniane, Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert
Daumas Gassac tasting room beside the Guibert family's grape-variety museum vineyard in Aniane, with appointment-only visits Monday to Saturday and a vinotheque of legendary back vintages.
Mauzac, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Pinot NoirWalk-ins welcomeLimoux, Aude
Cooperative cellar door of Sieur d'Arques in Limoux, pouring Blanquette de Limoux, Cremant de Limoux and the Toques et Clochers auction barrels with a free walk-in tasting bar.
Mauzac, Chenin Blanc, ChardonnayWalk-ins welcomeSaint-Hilaire, Limoux
Maison Guinot tasting cellar inside the 14th-century Abbaye Saint-Hilaire, the birthplace of methode traditionnelle sparkling wine in 1531, with guided tours and Blanquette de Limoux tastings.
Cremant de Limoux AOCChardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Mauzac, Pinot NoirEUR 12-16 retailsparkling-traditional
Premiere Bulle is the Sieur d'Arques cooperative's flagship Cremant de Limoux, a traditional-method sparkling blend dominated by Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc with Mauzac (the indigenous Limoux grape) and Pinot Noir support. Bottle-aged on lees for 18 months, it sits well under EUR15 and offers a serious alternative to entry Champagne at a third the price.
Tip: Cremant de Limoux is the value sparkling category of France: bottle-fermented method, deep lees ageing, sub-EUR20 pricing. Sieur d'Arques' Limoux cellars run free tours including the disgorgement line.
