Notify me
2020 Languedoc Rouge “Lou Maset”
Domaine d’Aupilhac“Lou Maset” refers to the old stone hut amid the vines at Domaine d’Aupilhac in the Languedoc town of Montpeyroux. In the pre-Technicolor film reel I have spinning in my head, I can see the vineyard workers, tired after a long morning out in the hot sun, taking refuge in the cool, dark hut. One man, his tanned brow dripping sweat over the dusty floor, holds a saucisson and produces a pocketknife from his overalls. The crew gathers as he begins slicing. Another man—Pascal, we’ll call him—yanks the cork from an unlabeled jug filled with a deep-purple liquid and takes a swig. The wine tastes like freshly pressed wild blackberries gently warmed by the sun, with an herbaceous quality recalling the shrubbery growing on the vineyard’s perimeter. It is a bit coarse on the palate, but not in an aggressive way; when Pascal gnaws on a thick slice of saucisson, there is a strangely beautiful harmony between earth, sun, and man, and for but a brief moment, everything is just right.
The wine Pascal drank, of course, was the “Lou Maset” from Domaine d’Aupilhac—the perfect refresher after a hard day of work, and the ideal companion to a roast chicken, grilled merguez, or even just a few slices of a colleague’s charcuterie.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 40% Grenache, 40% Cinsault, 10% Carignan, 5% Syrah, 5% Alicante Bouchet |
Appellation: | Languedoc |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Domaine d'Aupilhac |
Winemaker: | Sylvain Fadat |
Vineyard: | 20 years, 21.5 ha total |
Soil: | Limestone |
Aging: | 50% of wine ages for 6 months in foudres, 50% in stainless steel tank |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
Cap de Creus “Ranci Sec”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Evaporation over time has concentrated the wine, giving it considerable strength to go with its trademark rancio aromas of walnuts and brine.
2020 Vin de France “Le Carignan”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Old vines give this Carignan a supple, suede-like texture, along with loads of dark fruit, a peaty smokiness, and great minerality.
2020 Languedoc Montpeyroux Rouge
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Proof that a great site and honest farming are key to genuine, long-lived wines.
2020 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Cupa Numismae”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
It’s dense, noble, with grip and grit, the kind of cuvée that could generate a lot of awe and attention... and also a much higher price tag.
2021 Terrasses du Larzac Rouge
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
This wine marries the sunny influence of the south with chewy mountain tannins and a fresh streak of cool stone.
Banyuls “Reserva”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
You will be surprised how well this dessert wine will pair with toasted almonds, bleu cheese or nice dark chocolate.
2021 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!
2022 Languedoc Blanc “Aupilhac”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
A blend of Grenache Blanc, Ugni Blanc, Clairette, and Vermentino that tastes as if bees had harvested the nectar and pollen of all the local flowers and herbs and brewed it into wine.
2020 Saint-Chinian Rouge “Clos de la Simonette”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
A Mourvèdre-majority masterpiece, lots of pleasure and even more soul.
2021 Languedoc Rouge “Lou Maset”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
There is a strangely beautiful harmony between earth, sun, and man.
About The Producer
Domaine d'Aupilhac
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
2020 Pays d’Oc Rouge “Les Vieilles Vignes de Mourvèdre”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint Loup Rosé
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rouge
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rosé
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2019 Faugères “Valinière”
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Cap de Creus “Ranci Sec”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Collioure Rouge “Puig Ambeille”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint Loup “Tour de Pierres”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Languedoc Rouge “Lou Maset”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pic Saint Loup “Guilhem Gaucelm”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Languedoc Blanc
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pays d’Oc Rouge “Les Vieilles Vignes de Mourvèdre”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint Loup Rosé
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rouge
Château Fontanès France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint-Loup Rosé
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2019 Faugères “Valinière”
Domaine Leon Barral France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Cap de Creus “Ranci Sec”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Collioure Rouge “Puig Ambeille”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Pic Saint Loup “Tour de Pierres”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Languedoc Rouge “Lou Maset”
Domaine d’Aupilhac France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pic Saint Loup “Guilhem Gaucelm”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2022 Languedoc Blanc
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
Great winemakers, great terroirs, there is never any hurry. And I no longer buy into this idea of “peak” maturity. Great winemakers, great terroirs, their wines offer different pleasures at different ages.
Inspiring Thirst, page 312