A good friend of mine who interned for several months at Domaine Barral recently described to me how Michelin two- and three-star chefs from all over France would regularly descend upon Didier Barral’s vineyards, armed with bags and knives, to walk the rows and harvest all kinds of rare greens and unusual herbs growing wild. Many of the harvested plants were so indigenous and so ancient that their names are long forgotten, while some of them have names in the regional Occitan dialect that have never been translated to modern French. The chefs know they are dealing with some of the healthiest and most vibrant soils of the Languedoc here, a self-sufficient farm that Didier and his family work endlessly to maintain. The Barrals are celebrated in many different circles, not only among the wine crowd but also among cattle and pig breeders for the quality of the ancient breeds they raise among their vines, pastures, and forests. Barral lets the chefs take home as much vineyard salad as they can cut, free of charge.

    I swear I can smell some of those unique and intensely perfumed greens and herbs in the 2012 Faugères, while the 2012 “Jadis” cuvée makes me think more of the black fruits and olives grown on the property. The 2012 “Valinière” shows the animal side of the domaine, giving allusions to smoked and cured meats and reminiscent of the homemade head cheese and smoked hams the family cures on site. The range is a peek at what wines might have tasted like back in the day when nearly all vine growers, all over France, made wine as just a single element of a multifaceted farm. Each of those elements would be imprinted with the farm’s terroir and the farmer’s personal touch. While France once teemed with growers like this, hardly any remain today. Didier Barral is our last producer to remain off the modern grid, with no cell phone, no email, and no computer. We hope he stays that way for a long time to come.