Plan de L’Homme is in fact the wine estate formerly known as Plan de L’Om, now taken over by already-established vigneron Rémi Duchemin, who has exploited the full potential from the soils in and around the fashionable wine-making enclave of the Terrasses du Larzac. L’Om is an Occitan word for elm tree and has now been deemed appropriate for an eponymous humanist pun. The extraordinary terroir of the Terrasses Du Larzac is amongst the best on France, and the Plan de L'Homme wines are a worth ambassador.

To be fair one is more likely to encounter trees of the olive or oak persuasion here, in addition to the distinctive capitelles (shepherds’ huts) and colourful soils which are streaked with red sedimentary rocks, indicative of the presence of iron oxide. The Florès cuvee is made up of 60% Cinsualt, 30% Grenache and 10% Syrah.

Schist forms the sub-soil and pebbles dapple the top-soil, almost as an amalgam of Northern and Southern Rhône terroir, an observation not without relevance when tasting their wines which have power and elegance, red and black fruits, finely-honed tannins and a very complete, clean finish.