Pic Saint-Loup AOCSyrah, Grenache, Carignan, Mourvedre, Cinsault10 haFounded 1998Blandine Chauchat and Pierre JequierWinemaker Pierre JequierBiodynamic PracticingORGANIC CERTIFIEDPic Saint-Loup
Ten-hectare natural-wine estate in the northern Pic Saint-Loup at Claret, owned by Blandine Chauchat and Pierre Jequier, organic since 2005 and biodynamic since 2006, with the wines often unfined and unfiltered.
Tasting: Cellar tastings by appointment
Signature wines: foulaquier-les-tonillieres, foulaquier-l-orphee, foulaquier-le-rollier
Tip: The L'Orphee Pic Saint-Loup is the flagship Syrah-Grenache; the natural-wine cuvees are picked up by Raisin-app-listed Paris and Brussels wine bars.
Pic Saint-Loup AOCSyrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsault35 haFounded 1988Andre LeenhardtWinemaker Andre LeenhardtORGANIC CERTIFIEDPic Saint-Loup
Pic Saint-Loup estate in a 9th-century building one kilometre from Lauret, 35 hectares of clay-limestone vineyard taken over by Andre Leenhardt in 1988 and certified organic since 2010.
Tasting: Cellar tastings by appointment Monday to Saturday
Signature wines: cazeneuve-les-calcaires, cazeneuve-le-roc-des-mates, cazeneuve-la-clape
Tip: Les Calcaires (clay-limestone-grown Syrah-Grenache) is the bottle that defines the Cazeneuve style; the rose is a Pic Saint-Loup gateway wine.
Pic Saint-Loup AOC and Languedoc AOCSyrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsault30 haRatier familyORGANIC CERTIFIEDPic Saint-Loup
Ratier-family Pic Saint-Loup estate, eleven generations on the same Saint-Mathieu-de-Treviers terroir, producing certified-organic wines under AOP Pic Saint-Loup and AOP Languedoc.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Saint-Mathieu-de-Treviers, by appointment
Signature wines: vieille-classique-rouge, vieille-vignes-buissonnieres, vieille-blanc
Tip: The Vignes Buissonnieres bush-vine cuvee is the connoisseur's pick; the Classique rouge is a solid Pic Saint-Loup gateway.
Faugeres AOCCarignan, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Terret Blanc35 haFounded 1993Didier BarralWinemaker Didier BarralBiodynamic PracticingORGANIC CERTIFIEDFaugeres
Faugeres estate at Lentheric, 35 hectares on schist created by Didier Barral in 1993, named after his grandfather and worked biodynamically with integrated livestock (cattle and draught horses) since the start.
Tasting: Limited availability; cellar visits by direct contact
Signature wines: barral-faugeres-tradition, barral-jadis, barral-valinieres
Tip: Jadis (Syrah-Grenache-Carignan) is the cellar bottle and one of the longest-lived Faugeres reds; the Valinieres (Mourvedre-Syrah) is the prestige cuvee from upper-slope schist.
Faugeres AOCCarignan, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc60 haVidal-Dumoulin familyORGANIC CERTIFIEDFaugeres
Vidal-Dumoulin family estate at the hamlet of La Liquiere in Cabrerolles, 60 hectares on the pure schist hillsides of the Faugeres appellation, certified organic.
Tasting: Cellar tour and tasting at La Liquiere by appointment
Signature wines: liquiere-cistus, liquiere-nos-racines, liquiere-amandiers
Tip: The Cistus rouge is the schist-driven flagship; the Nos Racines old-vine Carignan shows the estate's heritage parcels.
Faugeres AOC and IGP Pays d'HeraultSyrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsault11 haFounded 2007Brigitte ChevalierWinemaker Brigitte ChevalierORGANIC CERTIFIEDFaugeres
Eleven-hectare hilltop Faugeres estate founded in 2007 by Brigitte Chevalier after a Bordeaux trade career, set on schist bedrock inside the Haut-Languedoc Natural Park with a tasting room and gite among the vines.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at the hilltop winery by appointment; gite accommodation available
Signature wines: cebene-belle-lurette, cebene-felgaria, cebene-les-bancels
Tip: Felgaria (Mourvedre-led) is the schist flagship; Belle Lurette (old-vine Carignan-Grenache) is the heritage cuvee.
Faugeres AOCCarignan, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, CinsaultFounded 1959Les Crus Faugeres cooperative membersFaugeres
Faugeres cooperative winery founded in 1959 and operating under the Mas Olivier label, with the Vilavigne cellar door at Faugeres open year-round and a broad range of Faugeres AOC reds, whites and roses.
Tasting: Cellar tour and tasting at the Vilavigne cellar door at Faugeres
Signature wines: mas-olivier-expression, mas-olivier-grand-fontaine, mas-olivier-tradition
Tip: The Expression rouge is the cooperative's value Faugeres; the Grand Fontaine is the upper-tier old-vine bottling.
Saint-Chinian AOCSyrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsault16 haFounded 1988Pascaline and Yves BourWinemaker Noemie VidlSaint-Chinian
Saint-Chinian estate at Bramefan, 16 hectares of vines (in a 25-hectare property) at 210 to 300 metres elevation, built from 1988 by Isabelle and Mathieu Champart and acquired in late 2020 by Pascaline and Yves Bour, who entrusted the cellar to Noemie Vidl while keeping the Bordeaux-meets-Languedoc precision intact.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Bramefan, Saint-Chinian by appointment
Signature wines: champart-cote-d-arbo, champart-causse-du-bousquet, champart-clos-de-la-simonette
Tip: Causse du Bousquet is the prestige Syrah-led cuvee; Clos de la Simonette is the old-vine Mourvedre that often outlives the warmer Languedoc reds.
Saint-Chinian AOCSyrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, CinsaultFounded 1998Cyril BourgneWinemaker Cyril BourgneSaint-Chinian
Saint-Chinian estate founded in 1998 by Bordeaux-trained Cyril Bourgne, working schist parcels in the northern Saint-Chinian zone with a precision-oriented approach learned from the Saint-Emilion grand crus.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at La Madura by appointment
Signature wines: madura-classic, madura-grand-vin, madura-blanc
Tip: The Grand Vin is the cellar Syrah-Mourvedre; Classic is the everyday Saint-Chinian rouge.
Saint-Chinian AOCSyrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, CinsaultFounded 1990Cathy Planes and Jean-Francois Izarn familyORGANIC CERTIFIEDSaint-Chinian
Saint-Chinian organic estate at Causses-et-Veyran north of Beziers, working three terroir-specific cuvees (Les Cres on rolled pebbles, Les Schistes on schist, Les Terres Blanches on clay-limestone) since 1990.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Causses-et-Veyran by appointment
Signature wines: vitarele-les-cres, vitarele-les-schistes, vitarele-les-terres-blanches
Tip: Each of the three terroir cuvees is bottled separately, which makes Borie La Vitarele the cleanest vertical of Saint-Chinian's three soil types in a single estate.
Saint-Chinian-Berlou AOC and Saint-Chinian AOCSyrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsault, Roussanne, MarsanneMartin familyORGANIC CERTIFIEDSaint-Chinian
Saint-Chinian-Berlou estate on the schist hillsides above the Orb river at Berlou, certified organic and producing both Saint-Chinian-Berlou cru reds and Saint-Chinian whites.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Berlou, by appointment
Signature wines: cambis-carnet-de-voyage, cambis-kalliope
Tip: Carnet de Voyage is the Berlou-cru flagship Syrah-Grenache; Kalliope is the rare Saint-Chinian blanc.
Saint-Chinian AOCSyrah, Mourvedre, Grenache, Carignan, Cinsault18 haFounded 1992Marc ValetteWinemaker Marc ValetteORGANIC CERTIFIEDSaint-Chinian
Saint-Chinian organic estate founded in 1992 by Marc Valette at Cessenon-sur-Orb, 18 hectares planted 80 percent to Syrah and worked with very late harvest dates, ECOCERT certified since 1999.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Cessenon-sur-Orb by appointment
Signature wines: canet-valette-mille-et-une-nuits, canet-valette-le-vin-maghani, canet-valette-une-et-mille-nuits
Tip: Maghani is the Syrah-led cellar cuvee; the wines are picked at over-ripeness and have a distinctive black-fig profile.
Saint-Chinian AOC and IGP Coteaux de MurvielMourvedre, Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Cinsault, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc54 haFounded 1868Guy familyWinemaker Florence GuyORGANIC CERTIFIEDSaint-Chinian
Saint-Chinian family estate at Murviel-les-Beziers established by the Guy family in 1868, 54 hectares of clay-limestone vineyard at 140 metres elevation, certified organic since 2008 under the Florence Guy generation.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Murviel-les-Beziers by appointment
Signature wines: coujan-bois-joli, coujan-rapsodie, coujan-tradition
Tip: The Bois Joli blanc (Roussanne-Grenache Blanc) is a benchmark Saint-Chinian white; the estate also produces olive oil from the border olive trees.
Corbieres AOC and Corbieres-Boutenac AOCCarignan, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault100 haPierre GabisonORGANIC CERTIFIEDCorbieres-Boutenac
Corbieres organic pioneer at Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, 100 hectares of vines inside a 600-hectare property, in organic agriculture from 1958 and fully certified since 1987, taken over by Pierre Gabison in 2005.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, year-round
Signature wines: caraguilhes-classique, caraguilhes-prestige, caraguilhes-solus
Tip: The Solus old-vine Carignan is the heritage bottling; Caraguilhes Prestige is the Corbieres-Boutenac flagship.
Corbieres-Boutenac AOC and Corbieres AOCCarignan, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, CinsaultReverdy familyWinemaker Laurent ReverdyCorbieres-Boutenac
Seven-generation Corbieres-Boutenac estate at the Gasparets hamlet, run by the Reverdy family - Patrick alongside sons Laurent and Paul - with the Romain Pauc old-vine Carignan as the cellar flagship.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Gasparets, Boutenac year-round
Signature wines: voulte-gasparets-romain-pauc, voulte-gasparets-cuvee-reservee, voulte-gasparets-vieilles-vignes
Tip: Romain Pauc (named for the founder of the modern era) is the cellar Corbieres-Boutenac; the Cuvee Reservee is the AOC Corbieres value bottling.
Corbieres AOC and IGP Pays d'OcCarignan, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Viognier, Roussanne17 haFounded 1989Leferrer familyWinemaker Herve LeferrerCorbieres-Boutenac
Burgundy-trained estate founded in 1989 by Herve Leferrer (former INAO official and Domaine de la Romanee-Conti director), 17 hectares of Corbieres at 300 metres altitude in a heart of the appellation surrounded by garrigue.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Ferrals-les-Corbieres by appointment
Signature wines: grand-cres-rouge, grand-cres-blanc, grand-cres-majeure
Tip: Cuvee Majeure is the structured Corbieres rouge that benefits most from cellar age.
Corbieres AOC and Corbieres-Boutenac AOCCarignan, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne75 haBories familyWinemaker Pierre BoriesORGANIC CERTIFIEDCorbieres-Boutenac
Corbieres-Boutenac organic estate at Montseret on Route Departementale 613, run by Pierre Bories with a vineyard restaurant (La Touketa) on the property.
Tasting: Cellar tastings and on-site bistro La Touketa at Montseret
Signature wines: ollieux-romanis-cuvee-classique, ollieux-romanis-or-de-la-touketa, ollieux-romanis-prestige-boutenac
Tip: The Prestige Boutenac (Carignan-Grenache-Syrah) is the cellar bottling; the on-site La Touketa restaurant pairs the wines with regional food.
Corbieres-Boutenac AOC and Corbieres AOCCarignan, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, CinsaultFounded 1971Laboucarie familyWinemaker Bruno LaboucarieCorbieres-Boutenac
Corbieres-Boutenac family estate at Boutenac, founded in its modern form in 1971 by Yves Laboucarie and run since 1993 by his son Bruno Laboucarie, with Clos du Centurion and Reserve La Demoiselle as the cellar reds.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Boutenac year-round
Signature wines: fontsainte-clos-du-centurion, fontsainte-reserve-la-demoiselle, fontsainte-gris-de-gris
Tip: The Gris de Gris (Grenache-Cinsault blush) is one of the Corbieres' best-known light-pink wines for hot-summer dinners.
Corbieres AOCCarignan, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault10 haJon and Elizabeth BowenWinemaker Jon BowenORGANIC CERTIFIEDCorbieres-Boutenac
Welsh-owned Corbieres organic estate at Fraisse-des-Corbieres on the southern Languedoc border, 10 hectares in the rocky Hautes Corbieres on the edge of the Roussillon, run by Jon and Elizabeth Bowen for more than two decades.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Fraisse-des-Corbieres by appointment
Signature wines: sainte-croix-le-fournas, sainte-croix-magneric, sainte-croix-celeste
Tip: Le Fournas and Magneric are the cellar reds; the estate's natural-leaning approach gets it picked up by UK and US natural-wine importers.
Minervois-La Liviniere AOC and Minervois AOCSyrah, Grenache, Carignan, Mourvedre, Cinsault45 haFounded 1997Robert EdenWinemaker Robert EdenDemeter CertifiedECOCERTMinervois-La Liviniere
Minervois-La Liviniere biodynamic estate purchased in 1997 by British-born Robert Eden, certified organic by Ecocert in 2002, Biodyvin in 2004 and Demeter in 2008, with B Corp certification awarded in 2016.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at La Liviniere by appointment
Signature wines: maris-la-touge, maris-les-planels, maris-old-vine-grenache
Tip: Les Planels is the upper-tier Syrah-Grenache bottling; the on-site hemp-cellar building is a sustainability case study in its own right.
Minervois-La Liviniere AOC and Minervois AOCCarignan, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, CinsaultMichel Escande familyORGANIC CERTIFIEDMinervois-La Liviniere
Minervois-La Liviniere estate at Felines-Minervois run by the Escande family, working biodynamic principles and an old-vine focus inside the Minervois-La Liviniere cru.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Felines-Minervois Monday to Saturday, 9am to 12pm and 3pm to 6pm
Signature wines: borie-de-maurel-la-feline, borie-de-maurel-sylla, borie-de-maurel-belle-de-nuit
Tip: La Feline is the affordable old-vine Syrah-Carignan; Sylla is the cellar-worthy upper-tier La Liviniere.
Minervois AOC and IGP AudeCarignan, Alicante Bouschet, Cinsault, Grenache, SyrahPierre CrosWinemaker Pierre CrosMinervois-La Liviniere
Minervois old-vine specialist at Badens west of Carcassonne, run by Pierre Cros with a deep focus on rare Languedoc varieties (Alicante Bouschet, pre-phylloxera Aramon) bottled separately.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Badens by appointment
Signature wines: pierre-cros-vieilles-vignes, pierre-cros-cuvee-2017, pierre-cros-alicante
Tip: The Alicante Bouschet varietal is the rarity bottle in the cellar; the Vieilles Vignes is the heritage Carignan-Grenache.
Minervois AOCCarignan, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, CinsaultFounded 1969Iche familyWinemaker Marie-Pierre IcheMinervois-La Liviniere
Minervois family estate in a 12th-century chateau at Oupia, taken over in 1969 by Andre Iche and run since 2007 by his daughter Marie-Pierre Iche, classic old-vine Carignan-led Minervois.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at the 12th-century chateau in Oupia, by appointment
Signature wines: oupia-tradition, oupia-les-barons, oupia-nobilis
Tip: The Tradition is the value Minervois rouge that punches above its price point; Les Barons is the upper-tier old-vine bottling.
Minervois-La Liviniere AOC and Minervois AOCCarignan, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, CinsaultPhilippe and Maguy ChabbertWinemaker Philippe ChabbertMinervois-La Liviniere
Minervois family estate at Felines-Minervois run by Philippe and Maguy Chabbert, working both AOC Minervois-La Liviniere reds and standard Minervois.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Felines-Minervois by appointment
Signature wines: petit-causse-cuvee-andrea, petit-causse-tradition, petit-causse-blanc
Tip: Cuvee Andrea is the La Liviniere cru flagship; the Tradition is the entry-level Minervois.
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: mas-jullien-autour-de-jonquieres, mas-jullien-etats-d-ame, mas-jullien-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: cal-demoura-terre-de-jonquieres, cal-demoura-les-combariolles, cal-demoura-l-infidele
Tip: Terre de Jonquieres is the appellation flagship; Les Combariolles is the older-vine prestige cuvee.
Terrasses du Larzac AOC and Languedoc Montpeyroux AOC and IGP Mont BaudileCarignan, Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault, Vermentino, Roussanne, Marsanne26 haFounded 1989Sylvain and Desiree FadatWinemaker Sylvain FadatDemeter CertifiedECOCERTTerrasses du Larzac
Five-generation Montpeyroux estate created in 1989 by Sylvain Fadat in the heart of the Terrasses du Larzac, 26 hectares of vines certified organic by Ecocert and biodynamic by Demeter, with the Cocalieres parcel at high altitude on the Larzac foothills.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Montpeyroux by appointment
Signature wines: aupilhac-le-carignan, aupilhac-la-boda, aupilhac-cocalieres
Tip: Le Carignan is a single-varietal old-vine Carignan (vines planted in 1947 on the Aupilhac home parcel); La Boda is the estate's prestige Terrasses du Larzac.
Terrasses du Larzac AOC and Languedoc AOCSyrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsault11 haFounded 2004Karine Ahton and Robert DouganORGANIC CERTIFIEDTerrasses du Larzac
Terrasses du Larzac boutique estate founded in 2004 by Karine Ahton (lawyer) and Robert Dougan (Australian composer) at Saint-Saturnin-de-Lucian, 11 hectares between Mas de Daumas Gassac and La Grange des Peres, with international critical attention from Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Saint-Saturnin-de-Lucian by appointment
Signature wines: la-peira-la-peira, la-peira-las-flors, la-peira-matissat
Tip: La Peira (the namesake cuvee) is the Syrah-Grenache flagship; Las Flors and Matissat are the second labels.
Terrasses du Larzac AOC and Languedoc AOCSyrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsault, Vermentino, RoussanneORGANIC CERTIFIEDTerrasses du Larzac
Terrasses du Larzac estate at Saint-Jean-de-Fos near the Pont du Diable, certified organic and bottling under both the cru and the regional Languedoc AOC.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Saint-Jean-de-Fos by appointment
Signature wines: conscience-as-de-coeur, conscience-conscience, conscience-blanc
Tip: Conscience is the AOC Terrasses du Larzac flagship; As de Coeur is the second label that delivers most of the appellation expression at a lower price.
Picpoul de Pinet AOC and IGP Pays d'OcPicpoul Blanc, Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan, Syrah, VermentinoFounded 1983Jourdan familyWinemaker Claude JourdanPicpoul de Pinet
Reference Picpoul de Pinet producer on the Bassin de Thau at Meze, owned by the Jourdan family since 1983 and run by female winemaker Claude Jourdan, regularly placed in the Decanter top-Picpoul tastings.
Tasting: Cellar tastings Monday to Friday 8am to 12pm and 1pm to 4pm by appointment
Signature wines: felines-jourdan-picpoul-classique, felines-jourdan-cuvee-particuliere, felines-jourdan-felinette
Tip: The basic Picpoul de Pinet is the gateway; the Cuvee Particuliere shows the upper-tier expression of the variety.
Picpoul de Pinet AOC and IGP Pays d'OcPicpoul Blanc, Picpoul Noir, Picpoul Gris, Cinsault, Syrah, GrenachePicpoul de Pinet
Picpoul specialist at Castelnau-de-Guers, the only estate vinifying Piquepoul in all three colours (Picpoul Blanc, Picpoul Gris and Picpoul Noir), housed in an 18th-century restored stable.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Castelnau-de-Guers by appointment
Signature wines: grangette-la-part-des-anges, grangette-l-enfant-terrible, grangette-blanc-bleu
Tip: La Part des Anges (oak-fermented Picpoul) is the connoisseur's bottle; the rare Picpoul Noir red is a curiosity worth tasting at the cellar.
Picpoul de Pinet AOC and IGP Pays d'OcPicpoul Blanc, Cinsault, Syrah, GrenachePicpoul de Pinet
Picpoul de Pinet estate at Castelnau-de-Guers less than 10 km from the Mediterranean, exporting widely to the UK, US and Canadian markets and one of the most-distributed Picpoul names on the international shelf.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Castelnau-de-Guers year-round
Signature wines: reine-juliette-picpoul-de-pinet, reine-juliette-terres-rouges
Tip: The basic Picpoul de Pinet is the export workhorse; the Terres Rouges Picpoul shows the cellar-aged style.
Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, CinsaultWalk-ins welcomeSaint-Chinian village
Saint-Chinian appellation tasting house in an 18th-century building, presenting 250+ AOC Saint-Chinian wines alongside Muscats de Saint-Jean de Minervois and Cartagenes.
Minervois AOC and Vin de FranceCarignan, Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Terret Bourret, Muscat a Petits GrainsFounded 1999John and Nicole BojanowskiBiodynamic PracticingORGANIC CERTIFIEDSaint-Jean-de-Minervois, Minervois
Bojanowski-family micro-estate at Saint-Jean-de-Minervois working old-vine Carignan and Grenache on high-altitude limestone. Cult Languedoc natural-wine reference.
Tip: The estate's Lo Vielh Carignan and L'Inattendu Grenache Gris are the canonical cuvees. Visits are by appointment with John or Nicole; the parcels at 350 metres altitude give a cooler-climate Minervois profile.
Faugeres AOCSyrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, CinsaultFounded 2007Cabrerolles, Faugeres
Sophie and Vincent Guizard's Faugeres estate working schist-slope parcels at Cabrerolles; HVE-certified since 2022.
Tip: Visits are by appointment; the schist-parcel cuvees show the canonical Faugeres profile.
Saint-Chinian AOCSyrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, CinsaultFounded 1990Jean-Francois Izarn and Cathy PlanesBiodynamic PracticingORGANIC CERTIFIEDCausses-et-Veyran, Saint-Chinian
Natural-wine Saint-Chinian estate at Causses-et-Veyran working schist, gres and limestone single-soil cuvees, founded in 1990 by Cathy Planes and Jean-Francois Izarn.
Tip: The single-soil cuvee trio Les Crozes (gres), Les Schistes (schist) and Les Terres Blanches (limestone) is the Saint-Chinian terroir master class. Visits at the cellar by appointment.
Vin de FranceGrenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault, Mourvedre, AramonFounded 1987Jean-Francois 'Jeff' CoutelouBiodynamic PracticingORGANIC CERTIFIEDPuimisson, Herault
Cult Languedoc natural-wine estate working old-vine Aramon, Grenache and Syrah at Puimisson. No-sulphur bottlings move through specialist natural-wine cavistes worldwide.
Tip: Mas Coutelou wines are nearly impossible to find at retail; allocations move through specialist natural-wine cavistes (La Cave des Papilles in Paris). Direct estate contact for visits via the estate website.
Vin de FranceCarignan, Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, TerretFounded 2002Axel PruferBiodynamic PracticingORGANIC CERTIFIEDOcton, Salagou
German-French natural-wine estate at Octon working volcanic-basalt parcels on the Lac du Salagou. Cult bottlings in the natural-wine market.
Tip: The volcanic-basalt Lac du Salagou parcels give a distinctive red-earth profile; Prufer's wines have a cult following in the Paris and Berlin natural-wine markets. Direct allocations through the estate website.
Terrasses du Larzac AOCSyrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, CinsaultFounded 2004Vincent Goumard and Isabelle GoumardBiodynamic PracticingORGANIC CERTIFIEDJonquieres, Terrasses du Larzac
Terrasses du Larzac quality reference at Jonquieres, working organic parcels on a mosaic of limestone, schist and basalt soils. The L'Infidele cuvee is the appellation benchmark.
Tip: Visits by appointment; the cellar in Jonquieres is small and group sizes are limited to under 10. Pair with a Mas Jullien visit (5 minutes' walk) for the canonical Terrasses du Larzac afternoon.
Languedoc AOCGrenache, Syrah, Cinsault, CarignanEUR 13-17 retailstill-red
Sylvain Fadat's Domaine d'Aupilhac is one of the foundational quality estates of Montpeyroux in the Terrasses du Larzac zone. Lou Maset (Occitan for 'the small house') is the estate's entry-tier Languedoc red, a Grenache-led Mediterranean blend from younger-vine parcels at a strong sub-EUR16 price. The estate is certified organic.
Tip: Aupilhac's higher-tier cuvees Le Carignan, Les Cocalieres and the Montpeyroux Terrasses du Larzac sit at the next price band. Lou Maset is the everyday Aupilhac at a value-tier price.