Domaine d’Aupilhac

Three generations of Fadats have farmed the large, eighteen-hectare lieu-dit known as Aupilhac, in the village of Montpeyroux, across the river Hérault from Daumas Gassac and Grange des Pères. While the Fadats have farmed this land since the nineteenth century, and the vineyards date even farther back to the time of the Romans, it was not until 1989 that the current member of the Fadat family, Sylvain, finally registered the domaine as a vigneron indépendant. Aupilhac is a special parcel for many reasons. Nestled below the ruins of the village’s château, these terraced vineyards of limestone scree and marl enjoy perfect southwest sun exposure, giving dense, chewy wines loaded with Mediterranean soul. Sylvain is not one to shy away from hard work. In an ancient volcanic amphitheatre littered with marine fossils and big chunks of limestone, he has done what few vignerons dare to do nowadays: he spent years clearing the land of boulders and shrubbery before finally planting a vineyard. The white and red produced in the stunning Cocalières site benefit from high elevation—the parcel lies well above the village at 350 meters above sea level—and cooler, northern exposure, yielding wines of incredible purity, finesse, and electrifying minerality. This was not only an enormous financial investment, but also back-breaking labor. The same work was done many centuries ago by the founders of France’s great terroirs such as Savennières and Cornas, planting the best and most promising parcels irrespective of time and money.

Sylvain has also elected to have his fruit certified as organic in Europe, a mandatory three-year conversion process. For him, this is a choice both of conscience and pragmatism. He works the soil vigorously by plowing regularly. This forces the roots to dig deeper and deeper in the soil in search of cooler, humid subsoil, which protects the vines from drought and sun. Ultimately, his rationale centers on helping achieve a natural balance. In his words, “We believe that work in the vineyards has far more influence on a wine's quality than what we do in the cellar.” The decision to achieve biodynamic certification, completed in 2014, illustrated another important step towards creating harmony in the vineyard ecosystem.

What happens in the cellars is equally compelling. Domaine d’Aupilhac’s wines find a terrific balance of ripe fruit and silky tannins, power and grace. When aged, these wines achieve a complexity rarely found in wines sold for many times the price, while their wildness and intensity makes them equally appealing young.

Technical Information

Wine	Blend	Vine Age	Soil Type	Vineyard Area*
Languedoc Blanc “Aupilhac”	20% Ugni Blanc, 40% Grenache Blanc, 40% Clairette	16 years average	Clay, limestone	21.5 ha total
Languedoc Blanc “Les Cocalières”	30% Roussanne, 30% Vermentino, 20% Grenache Blanc, 20% Marsanne	Planted in 1999-2002	Limestone, Basalt	21.5 ha total
Languedoc Rosé “Lou Maset”	80% Mourvèdre, 20% Cinsault	8-15 years	Limestone, clay, scree, blue marl (with fossil deposits)	21.5 ha total
Languedoc Rouge “Lou Maset”	40% Grenache, 40% Cinsault, 10% Carignan, 5% Syrah, 5% Alicante Bouchet	20 years	Limestone	21.5 ha total
Vin de Pays de Mont Baudile Rouge “Le Carignan”	Carignan	Up to 70 years	Limestone, clay, scree, blue marl (with fossil deposits)	21.5 ha total
Languedoc Rouge “Les Cocalières”	40% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre	Planted in 1999-2002	Limestone, Basalt	21.5 ha total
Languedoc Montpeyroux Rouge	30% Mourvèdre, 30% Carignan, 25% Syrah, 10% Grenache, 5% Cinsault	35 years	Limestone, clay, scree, blue marl (with fossil deposits)	21.5 ha total
Languedoc Montpeyroux Rouge “La Boda”	40% Mourvèdre, 40% Syrah, 10% Carignan, 10% Grenache	N/A	Limestone, basalt, clay, scree, blue marl (with fossil deposits)	21.5 ha total
Languedoc Montpeyroux Rouge “Le Clos”	40% Mourvèdre, 40% Carignan, 20% Syrah	30-70 years	Blue marl	21.5 ha total
Languedoc Montpeyroux Blanc “La Boda”	25% Carignan Blanc, 15% Clairette, 20% Rolle, 15% Roussanne, 5% Marsanne, 10% Grenache Blanc	20 - 25 years	Clay, limestone	.3 ha
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres

VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION

In 2007, Montpeyroux was granted its own denomination within the A.O.C. Coteaux du Languedoc. In addition, all wines designated as A.O.C. Coteaux du Languedoc have been changed to a new appellation, A.O.C. Languedoc. Growers have a period of time in which they must comply. Future vintages will thus read as A.O.C. Languedoc and A.O.C. Languedoc Montpeyroux.

• Grapes are harvested by hand, de-stemmed, and only indigenous yeasts are used

• Fermentation occurs in open-top cuves of temperature-controlled stainless steel

• All parcels are vinifed and aged separately

• Wines are unfiltered

• Wines are bottled in accordance with the lunar cycle and optimal atmospheric pressure

Languedoc Blanc “Aupilhac”:

• Primary fermentation, malolactic fermentation, and aging take place in one 40 hL foudre and two 600L demi-muids

• Wine ages for 12 months

Languedoc Blanc “Les Cocalières”:

• Single vineyard “Les Cocalières” is situated at an altitude of 350 meters, with northwest sun exposure

• The land is on the site of an ancient lake formed after the eruption of a volcano, resulting in a geological phenomenon consisting of limestone and basalt

• All the different grapes are harvested and vinified all together
• Both vinification and malolactic fermentation take place in casks and used barrels

• Wine ages for 13-14 months in older barrels

Languedoc Rosé “Lou Maset”:

• Mourvèdre juice is obtained by direct press; Cinsault juice is obtained by saignée

• Ferments in temperature-controlled, stainless steel

• Wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation

• Ages in stainless steel for 8 months before bottling

• Beginning with the 2020 vintage, wine will be a Vin de France called “Le Rosé”

Languedoc Rouge “Lou Maset”:

• Traditional vinification in stainless steel lasts for 10-15 days

• 50% ages for 6 months in foudre, 50% ages 6 months in stainless steel

Vin de Pays de Mont Baudile Rouge “Le Carignan”:

• Vineyard situated on hillside terraces

• Grapes macerate for 28 days, with frequent pump-overs

• Ages in barrel for 18-20 months

Languedoc Montpeyroux Rouge :

• Grapes macerate for 15-30 days, with frequent pump-overs

• Wine ages in barrel for 20 months

• Labeled as IGP Mont Baudile in some vintages

Languedoc Rouge “Les Cocalières”:

• Single vineyard “Les Cocalières” is situated at an altitude of 350 meters, with northwest sun exposure, allowing for a long, slow ripening of the grapes

• The land is on the site of an ancient lake formed after the eruption of a volcano, resulting in a geological phenomenon consisting of limestone and basalt

• Grapes are picked three weeks later than neighbors in the appellation

• Long maceration with regular pump-overs

• Ages in cuves and barrels for 15 months

Languedoc Montpeyroux Rouge “La Boda”:

• “La Boda” comes from the Spanish word for marriage; this blend is a union of terroirs merging the altitude of the Cocalières vineyard with the terroir of Aupilhac

• Long maceration with regular pump-overs

• Ages for 24 months in 300-L barrels

Languedoc Montpeyroux Rouge “Le Clos”:
• Whole cluster fermentation in open vats with regular punchdowns
• Ages for 25 months in barrels and 5 months in foudre

Languedoc Montpeyroux Blanc “La Boda”:
• Fermentation lasts 4 weeks
• Aged in demi-muid for 18 months
• Neither fined nor filtered