Domaine d'Aupilhac - Languedoc Les Cocalières blanc 2023

Bettane & Desseauve

About wine:

Splendid Cocalières white 2023, not to be missed.

About the estate:

Generous like him, Sylvain Fadat's wines are now fresher and more elegant 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 Rouge dominate with their finesse.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

Descended from four generations of winegrowers, Sylvain Fadat created this 25-hectare estate in 1989. He uses organic (biodynamic) farming methods on his two terroirs: clay-limestone and blue marl for Aupilhac, on the southern slope, and clay-limestone and volcanic remains 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 wine:

Cocalières have a lovely smoky note, a fine, refined texture, and a mouthwatering finish. It will go a long way.

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 was on this cool, wild terroir, where limestone rubs shoulders with blue marl and volcanic influences, that he would write a beautiful page in the history of winegrowing. While his father divided his time between researching woodcocks and tending his small 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 reveal new plots of vines around the family's vineyards in the hamlet of Aupilhac. In 1998, he took another step forward by planting a unique vineyard: Cocalières, a high-perched amphitheater, a magnetic location, facing north, for wines born in the middle of the garrigue and woodcocks. In the meantime, the wines have been refined and have stood the test of time. The energy expended, the boundless passion, the respect for the environment in the vineyard, and the accuracy 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 undoubtedly a leading figure in the region's revival. The personality and energy of the estate's vintages are the best testament to this unwavering commitment and renewed passion that make the beautiful terroir of Montpeyroux shine.