Domaine d'Aupilhac - Languedoc Montpeyroux Les Cocalières rouge 2021

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

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

About the estate:

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 altitude of 350 meters. At the top of the range, Le-Clos, La-Boda, and Les-Cocalières Red stand out for their finesse.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

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

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

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

About the estate:

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 magnificent chapter in the history of winemaking. While his father juggled his research on woodcocks with tending his small plots of vineyards, Sylvain chose viticulture without hesitation. The new winemaker took over the family’s 5 hectares in 1989 and vinified the first four vintages in outdoor truck tanks. Through sheer hard work, the winemaker then built his cellar in 1993 and expanded his estate. He cleared the land to uncover new patches of vines, surrounding the family’s plots in the hamlet of Aupilhac. In 1998, a new chapter began with the planting of a unique vineyard: Cocalières, a high-perched amphitheater, a magnetic site with north-facing slopes, yielding wines born amidst the garrigue and woodcocks. In the meantime, the winemaking techniques have refined, and the wines produced have stood the test of time. The energy expended, the overflowing passion, the environmental respect in the vineyard, and the precision of the wines—which always express the nature of the place—can only be applauded. Sylvain Fadat, accompanied by his wife Désirée since 2000, is undeniably a leading figure in the region’s revival. The character and energy of the estate’s wines are the best testament to this unwavering commitment and renewed passion that make this beautiful Montpeyroux terroir shine.