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.
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.
Address: 950 Route de Montpeyroux, 34150 Saint-Jean-de-Fos, France, Languedoc
Montpeyroux estate created in 1987 by the Teissedre and Commeyras families at the foot of the Larzac foothills, 18 hectares across 22 parcels worked in organic agriculture.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Montpeyroux by appointment
Signature wines: aigueliere-velours, aigueliere-cote-doree, aigueliere-l-esprit
Tip: Velours (named for the silkiness of the wine) is the upper-tier Terrasses du Larzac; L'Esprit is the regular cuvee.
Terrasses du Larzac estate at Saint-Jean-de-la-Blaquiere acquired by Gerard Bertrand in 2011, at 300 metres altitude on the volcanic terraces of the Larzac, biodynamically cultivated since 2012 with Demeter certification on the wines from the 2015 vintage.
Tasting: Cellar tastings and on-site spa-hotel at Saint-Jean-de-la-Blaquiere
Signature wines: sauvageonne-les-ruffes, sauvageonne-grand-vin-rouge, sauvageonne-grand-vin-blanc
Tip: Les Ruffes (named for the red volcanic ruffes soil) is the value Terrasses du Larzac; the Grand Vin Blanc shows the volcanic-soil white style.
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: daumas-gassac-rouge, daumas-gassac-blanc, daumas-gassac-faune
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.
Languedoc estate at Murviel-les-Montpellier created in 1997 by Thierry and Francoise Hasard, organic from the outset and biodynamic since 2003, certified by Ecocert and Biodyvin.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Murviel-les-Montpellier by appointment
Signature wines: marfee-les-gamines, marfee-frissons-d-ombelles, marfee-les-vignes-qu-on-abat
Tip: Les Gamines is the Gres de Montpellier flagship; Frissons d'Ombelles is the rare white that punches well above its Languedoc price band.
Montpeyroux estate created in 1987 by the Teissedre and Commeyras families at the foot of the Larzac foothills, 18 hectares across 22 parcels worked in organic agriculture.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Montpeyroux by appointment
Signature wines: aigueliere-velours, aigueliere-cote-doree, aigueliere-l-esprit
Tip: Velours (named for the silkiness of the wine) is the upper-tier Terrasses du Larzac; L'Esprit is the regular cuvee.
Terrasses du Larzac estate at Saint-Jean-de-la-Blaquiere acquired by Gerard Bertrand in 2011, at 300 metres altitude on the volcanic terraces of the Larzac, biodynamically cultivated since 2012 with Demeter certification on the wines from the 2015 vintage.
Tasting: Cellar tastings and on-site spa-hotel at Saint-Jean-de-la-Blaquiere
Signature wines: sauvageonne-les-ruffes, sauvageonne-grand-vin-rouge, sauvageonne-grand-vin-blanc
Tip: Les Ruffes (named for the red volcanic ruffes soil) is the value Terrasses du Larzac; the Grand Vin Blanc shows the volcanic-soil white style.
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: daumas-gassac-rouge, daumas-gassac-blanc, daumas-gassac-faune
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.
Languedoc estate at Murviel-les-Montpellier created in 1997 by Thierry and Francoise Hasard, organic from the outset and biodynamic since 2003, certified by Ecocert and Biodyvin.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Murviel-les-Montpellier by appointment
Signature wines: marfee-les-gamines, marfee-frissons-d-ombelles, marfee-les-vignes-qu-on-abat
Tip: Les Gamines is the Gres de Montpellier flagship; Frissons d'Ombelles is the rare white that punches well above its Languedoc price band.
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 and Languedoc estate at Montagnac inland from the Bassin de Thau, with both a single-variety Picpoul de Pinet and the cellar-aged Bronzinelle flagship.
Tasting: Cellar tastings at Montagnac year-round
Signature wines: saint-martin-picpoul-de-pinet, saint-martin-bronzinelle, saint-martin-chateau-rouge
Tip: The Picpoul de Pinet is the appellation reference; Bronzinelle is the upper-tier Languedoc white that goes beyond the Picpoul style.
