Notify me
2020 Languedoc Montpeyroux Rouge “Les Cocalières”
Domaine d’Aupilhac

The appellation of Montpeyroux does not have any official grands crus, but Domaine d’Aupilhac’s Les Cocalières is certainly worthy of such distinction. This volcanic amphitheater, made up of basalt, raw limestone, and marine fossils, is perched high above the town of Montpeyroux and had lain essentially untouched until the inquisitive Sylvain Fadat started to plant vines there in 1999. The move was a stroke of genius, as Fadat’s bottlings from this terroir have proven to be among the most complex and elegant wines of southern France. Savory in a similar way to the reds of Saint-Joseph, the Cocalières rouge evokes black olive, lavender, and roasted game. If you can, cellar some bottles to try over the next twenty years.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 40% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre |
Appellation: | Languedoc Montpeyroux |
Country: | France |
Region: | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Producer: | Domaine d'Aupilhac |
Winemaker: | Sylvain Fadat |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1999-2002 |
Soil: | Limestone, Basalt |
Aging: | Ages in cuves and barrels for 15 months |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region

2019 Languedoc Montpeyroux Rouge
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Proof that a great site and honest farming are key to genuine, long-lived wines.

2021 Languedoc Rouge “Lou Maset”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
There is a strangely beautiful harmony between earth, sun, and man.

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.

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!

2020 Collioure Rouge “Puig Ambeille”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
A stony, spicy cuvée full of Mediterranean sunshine, aromatic garrigue, and a hint of salinity that offers a perfect match for grilled rosemary lamb chops.

2019 Faugères
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Simultaneously rustic and graceful, dark and light on its feet, this red shows succulent notes of mixed red and black fruit, spices, and leather.

2020 Vin de France “Le Carignan”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Sylvain crafts this wine as a testimony to the quality Carignan can achieve with low yields from old vines in poor soils.

2020 Corbières Rouge “Réserve La Demoiselle”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
Hailing from the rugged and windswept hills of Corbières, which teem with garrigue and olive groves, La Demoiselle delivers a glorious taste of the South.

2022 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.

2021 Vin de France Rosé “Le Gris”
France | Languedoc-Roussillon
This gris de gris is more delicate in color and perfume than its predecessor, but it still packs a lot of flavor.
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
2021 Corbières Rosé “Gris de Gris” MAGNUM
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pays d’Oc Rouge “Les Vieilles Vignes de Mourvèdre”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Collioure Rouge “La Pinède”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Collioure Rouge “Puig Oriol”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Saint-Chinian Blanc
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Sainte Agnès”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Corbières Blanc
“La Bégou”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Collioure Blanc “Les Canadells”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2014 Le Pied des Nymphettes
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint-Loup Rosé
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Corbières Rouge “Réserve La Demoiselle”
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pic Saint Loup “Tour de Pierres”
Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Corbières Rosé “Gris de Gris” MAGNUM
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pays d’Oc Rouge “Les Vieilles Vignes de Mourvèdre”
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Collioure Rouge “La Pinède”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Collioure Rouge “Puig Oriol”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Saint-Chinian Blanc
Mas Champart France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint Loup Rouge “Sainte Agnès”
Héritage du Pic Saint Loup France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Corbières Blanc
“La Bégou”
Maxime Magnon France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Collioure Blanc “Les Canadells”
Domaine La Tour Vieille France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2014 Le Pied des Nymphettes
Domaine Les Mille Vignes France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2021 Pic Saint-Loup Rosé
Château La Roque France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Corbières Rouge “Réserve La Demoiselle”
Domaine de Fontsainte France | Languedoc-Roussillon
2020 Pic Saint Loup “Tour de Pierres”
Ermitage du Pic Saint Loup 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