About this WINE
Mas Champart
The French wine region of St Chinian is located in the photogenic foothills of the Cevennes to the north of Beziers and is sandwiched, for those who know their vinous map, between Minervois and Faugères. The complex mosaic of terroir here may be simplified into higher -ground schist in the north (the enclave of Berlou is adjacent to Faugères) and limestone on the lower southern slopes. Mas Champart’s vineyards are mainly located in the latter camp.
Founded in 1976, Mas Champart is owned by the unassuming Parisian (is this a contradiction in terms?) couple Isabelle and Mathieu. They farm 25 hectares and are traditional in virtually all aspects of their winemaking, the notable exception being their passion for Cabernet Franc, a souvenir from several trips to the Loire Valley. Their Vin de Pays red wine contains up to 75% Cabernet Franc to be precise, the balance a kaleidoscope of local colour, headed by Syrah and Grenache.
The Cote d’Arbo cuvee is a blend of Syrah, Grenache, very old-vine Carignan and Mourvèdre, farmed at low yields and bottled with minimal intervention after ageing in tanks.
Their outstanding white wine is made up of 80% Terret and 20% Grenache Gris, ancient historical varieties in these parts and therefore, he says ironically, not permitted within the local AOC rules. Therefore it is a Vin de Pays, soon to be an IGP d’Hérault.
Other Varieties
There are over 200 different grape varieties used in modern wine making (from a total of over 1000). Most lesser known blends and varieties are traditional to specific parts of the world.
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Description
Mas Champart’s Pays d’Oc white (previously called Monts de la Grage) is a fascinating blend of ancestral Languedoc varieties, Terret (80 percent) and Grenache Gris (20 percent), the former from 110-year-old vines, its meagre progeny picked late and then vinified in large wooden vats.
The wine is appropriately different, with hints of salinity underscoring a mid-palate profile, which is dominated by grapefruit, quince and poached pear. Notes of honey and spice are also evidenced and the finish is powerful; an unusual but most impressive example. Exactly the kind of wine, all too seldom unearthed, which shows off the rich diversity of the heritage of the Languedoc.
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