Domaine d'Aupilhac - Languedoc Montpeyroux Les Cocalières rouge 2021

At the top end of the range, the Cocalières reds stand out among the reds for their intensity and refined tannins.

Just as generous as he is, Sylvain Fadat’s wines now exhibit greater freshness and elegance than in the past. His 13 hectares are complemented by Les Cocalières, a northwest-facing amphitheater planted in the heart of the garrigue at an elevation of 350 meters. At the top of the range, Le-Clos, La-Boda, and Les-Cocalières reds stand out for their finesse.

A descendant of four generations of winemakers, Sylvain Fadat founded this 25-hectare estate in 1989. He cultivates his two terroirs using organic (biodynamic) farming methods: clay-limestone and blue marl soils for Aupilhac, on the southern slope, and clay-limestone and volcanic remnants for Cocalières, at an elevation of 350 meters. Consistently excellent.

Still from the 2021 vintage, the red Cocalières is camphor-scented, deep, with chalky, lingering tannins. A great success!

Although Sylvain Fadat was born in Saint-Cloud, his family brought him back to the land of his ancestors in Montpeyroux a few months later. It is on this cool, untamed terroir—where limestone meets blue marl and volcanic influences—that he would go on to write a truly beautiful chapter in winemaking history. While his father divided his time between researching woodcocks and tending to his small plots of vineyards, Sylvain chose viticulture without hesitation. The new winemaker took over the family’s 5 hectares in 1989 and vinified his first four vintages in outdoor truck tanks. Through sheer hard work, the winemaker then built his own cellar in 1993 and expanded his estate. He cleared the land to uncover new patches of vines surrounding the family’s plots in the locality known as Aupilhac. In 1998, a new chapter began with the planting of a unique vineyard: Cocalières, a high-perched amphitheater—a magnetic, north-facing site—producing wines with a stony character born amidst the garrigue and woodcocks. In the meantime, the aging process has been refined, and the wines produced have stood the test of time. The energy invested, the boundless passion, the respect for the environment in the vineyard, and the precision of the wines—which always express the character of the terroir—can only be commended. Sylvain Fadat, joined by his wife Désirée in 2000, is undeniably a leading figure in the region’s renaissance. The character and vitality of the estate’s wines are the best testament to this unwavering commitment and renewed passion, which bring this beautiful Montpeyroux terroir to life.