Notify me
2020 Gard Rouge “Clausus”
Ludovic Engelvin
Ludovic Engelvin plies his trade in a remote land of garrigue, pine forest, and rocky vineyards west of Nîmes. He echoes his mentors, Didier Dagueneau and Didier Barral, in his minute attention to detail and anti-conventional attitude, taking a holistic approach to viticulture and winemaking with a special focus on regenerative farming and gentle, low-impact vinifications. Clausus is a pure Grenache in limestone soil, the product of infusion-style winemaking with no oak, fining, or filtration, and barely any sulfur. Its lingering finish conjures up the indulgent feeling of gorging oneself on a large bowl of luscious black cherries at their peak of summer ripeness.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Grenache |
Appellation: | Gard |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Ludovic Engelvin |
Winemaker: | Ludovic Engelvin |
Vineyard: | 20-30 years old, 1.3 ha |
Soil: | Grey marl, clay, limestone |
Aging: | Aged 12 months in stainless steel tanks |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 14% |
More from this Producer or Region

2022 Languedoc Blanc “Les Cocalières”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
One of five or six most outstanding dry whites of the Mediterranean rim, vintage after vintage and worth every centime!

2016 Vin de France Vieux Ronsard
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
The fruit recalls savory plums and baked cherries. It almost feels like a cheat: getting to drink a wine with the desirable qualities of long cellaring, but in its immediate, current release.

2021 Languedoc Montpeyroux Rouge “Les Cocalières”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Fadat’s bottlings from this terroir have proven to be among the most complex and elegant wines of southern France.

2018 Vin de France “Grenache Oxydatif”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
At once similarly saline and nutty as vin jaune or sherry, but also singular and standalone in its notes of watermelon flesh and rind.

2022 Vin de France Blanc de Voile
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
If you’re a fan of Jura’s vin jaune or fino and manzanilla sherry, find yourself a new friend in this rare bottling from Ludvic Engelvin.

2019 Faugères “Jadis”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Earthy, meaty, savory, juicy, and powerful, it is a glassful of joyful, soulful goodness.

2024 Saint-Chinian Rosé
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
This Languedoc beauty could easily be taken for its Provençal cousin—that is, until you see the price tag.

2024 Corbières Rosé “Gris de Gris”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
A cold glass hits the spot every single time, bursting over the taste buds with bright citrus, wild strawberry, and a juicy finish.

2023 Corbières Rosé “Gris de Gris”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
A cold glass hits the spot every single time, bursting over the taste buds with bright citrus, wild strawberry, and a juicy finish.

2022 Languedoc Montpeyroux Rouge
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Proof that a great site and honest farming are key to genuine, long-lived wines.
About The Producer
Ludovic Engelvin
Situated halfway between the Pic Saint Loup and Tavel, the area known as the Languedoc Gardois has long been a viticultural hotspot: the Romans, who made the nearby city of Nîmes an important hub, established a thriving winemaking industry here centuries ago. Local wines enjoyed notable prestige throughout history, but a shift toward productivity over quality in the twentieth century all but stripped the region of its reputation. Thanks to forward-thinking young vignerons like Ludovic Engelvin, these historic terroirs are once again living up to their former glory.
After studies in viticulture and enology, Ludovic interned in cellars across southern France, Spain, and the Loire Valley, including a formative stint with the late Didier Dagueneau. Next, he took a sommelier position at a reputable establishment in Provence, where he honed his tasting skills and earned numerous awards, before leaving the restaurant world to open his own wine shop outside of Nîmes. Keen on making his own wine, he rented some vines, then sold the shop two years later to become a full-time vigneron. The 2013 vintage, vinified in his tiny cellar in the sleepy village of Vic-le-Fesq, marked his first commercial releases.
About The Region
Languedoc-Roussillon
Ask wine drinkers around the world, and the word “Languedoc” is sure to elicit mixed reactions. On the one hand, the region is still strongly tied to its past as a producer of cheap, insipid bulk wine in the eyes of many consumers. On the other hand, it is the source of countless great values providing affordable everyday pleasure, with an increasing number of higher-end wines capable of rivaling the best from other parts of France.
While there’s no denying the Languedoc’s checkered history, the last two decades have seen a noticeable shift to fine wine, with an emphasis on terroir. Ambitious growers have sought out vineyard sites with poor, well draining soils in hilly zones, curbed back on irrigation and the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and looked to balance traditional production methods with technological advancements to craft wines with elegance, balance, and a clear sense of place. Today, the overall quality and variety of wines being made in the Languedoc is as high as ever.
Shaped like a crescent hugging the Mediterranean coast, the region boasts an enormous variety of soil types and microclimates depending on elevation, exposition, and relative distance from the coastline and the cooler foothills farther inland. While the warm Mediterranean climate is conducive to the production of reds, there are world-class whites and rosés to be found as well, along with stunning dessert wines revered by connoisseurs for centuries.
More from Languedoc-Roussillon or France
2022 Vin de France Blanc de Voile
Domaine Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rouge
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Languedoc Montpeyroux Rouge
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2024 Languedoc Blanc “Aupilhac”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2023 Banyuls “Rimage”
Domaine de la Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Cupa Numismae”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2023 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Cebenna”
Les Eminades France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2023 Languedoc Blanc “Cuvée Sainte Agnès”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Vin de France “Le Carignan”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pays d’Hérault Rouge
Domaine de la Grange des Pères France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Monts de la Grage Blanc
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Languedoc Blanc “Les Cocalières”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Vin de France Blanc de Voile
Domaine Ludovic Engelvin France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rouge
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Languedoc Montpeyroux Rouge
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2024 Languedoc Blanc “Aupilhac”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2023 Banyuls “Rimage”
Domaine de la Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Cupa Numismae”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2023 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Cebenna”
Les Eminades France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2023 Languedoc Blanc “Cuvée Sainte Agnès”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Vin de France “Le Carignan”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pays d’Hérault Rouge
Domaine de la Grange des Pères France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Monts de la Grage Blanc
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Languedoc Blanc “Les Cocalières”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171