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The windswept, rocky, garrigue-scented landscape of Terrasses du Larzac is a red-wine-only appellation in the north-east of the Languedoc, distinct from other appellations for, in particular, its massive diurnal ranges of temperature, especially during the ripening period. Its northern boundary is drawn by the Causse du Larzac, which is famous as the grazing ground of the sheep who produce Roquefort cheese, and the north-eastern boundary is pinned by the Séranne mountains; the southern boundary faces the sea – although far enough away from the sea for summer temperatures to drop from their daytime peak by as much as 20–25 °C (36–45 °F) overnight.
This singularity results in slow-ripening grapes with striking tension and freshness, but also with thick skins, and if anything defines Terrasses du Larzac wines, it's structure. These are wines that can sometimes be quite formidable in youth, but age well. Another remarkable fact about Terrasses du Larzac is that 65% of the winegrowers are certified organic, and many others are practising sustainable viticulture. This is a region for brave, tough people with long-range vision, who are fearless of hard work.
Some of the Languedoc's top domaines are located within the appellation, such as Dom de la Grange des Pères and Mas de Daumas Gassac (among others). Mas des Brousses is perhaps not quite as well known, but it should be. It has quite some pedigree behind it.
Based in the village of Puéchabon, the domaine itself was established in 1525, belonging to the same family for 15 generations, although their living was made in the production of charcoal rather than wine. Enter Xavier Peyraud from Bandol, grandson of the famous Lucien Peyraud of Dom Tempier. Marrying Géraldine Combes (whose family owns Mas des Brousses) he believed that the land had huge potential for producing high-quality wines. The pair of them established a wine estate in 1997, and right from the start they drew on Peyraud's Mourvèdre heritage, planting cuttings taken from Dom Tempier itself.
Today the two of them farm 10 ha (25 acres) of vineyard, planted in the main to the three allowed varieties of the AOC (Mourvèdre, Grenache and Syrah) but they also have some Merlot and various white varieties. They have farmed organically, without pesticides or herbicides, for many years, turning more and more towards regenerative, no-till practices in recent years, and some of their wines are Ecocert certified.
Everything is done by hand, and pretty much everything is done by just Xavier and Géraldine, despite three boys to bring up. In the cellar, they do spontaneous fermentation, add minimal sulphites and bottle unfiltered.
This particular wine, their flagship Terrasses du Larzac, 2019 vintage, is a blend of 50% Mourvèdre, 30% Syrah and 20% Grenache. It's aged for 13 months in 400-litre used barriques. And it's a wine that speaks so clearly of its home, balancing the piercing freshness of Larzac with Mediterranean warmth, in a spicy way, rather than an alcoholic way (13.5%). Géraldine and Xavier have managed to capture the wildness of the terroir, but they've avoided the thick, bullish tannins that can sometimes dog the Mourvèdre-dominant Larzac wines.
My tasting note reads, 'Tangy and intense, almost precise, but with a folksy, edgy, indie, minor-key lilt. Kate Bush meets Steve'n'Seagulls with a dab of home-made tomato ketchup. Fermented plums, dried tomato vine leaves, sumac and raw, something very much like steak tartare. Dusty-silk tannins. Just wonderful. Off-beat, but not missing a beat. Just on the right side of quirky, but seriously complex.'
It's drinking beautifully right now, but will be just as good for several years to come. I wouldn't bother to age it, though, personally. This is the perfect autumn wine, perfect for autumn food: bacon, butternut and puy lentil salad; chickpea and red-pepper curry; shepherd's pie. It's a wine for the moment.
The wine is available in France and in the UK, where it's sold by Stone Vine & Sun and Roberson (who also import their other wines). It's available in the USA (NY, CA), imported by Polaner Selections.
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The photos here are all published with kind permission of Simon Taylor and Mas des Brousses.
