Domaine d'Aupilhac - Languedoc Les Cocalières blanc 2023

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Splendid Cocalières blanc 2023, not to be missed.

About the domain :

Generous like him, Sylvain Fadat's wines are now more fresh and elegant than in the past. His 13 hectares are complemented by Les Cocalières, a north-western amphitheater planted in the middle of the garrigue at an altitude of 350 meters. At the top end of the range, le-clos, la-boda and les-cocalières red dominate the range with their finesse.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the domain :

Descended from four generations of winegrowers, Sylvain Fadat created this 25-hectare estate in 1989. He works his two terroirs organically (biodynamically): clay-limestone and blue marl for Aupilhac, on the south-facing slope, and clay-limestone and volcanic remains for Cocalières, at an altitude of 350m. Uncompromising consistency.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

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

About the wine:

Les Cocalières has a lovely smoky touch, a fine, uncluttered texture and a salivating allongevity. It will go a long way.

About the domain :

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 fresh, wild terroir, where limestone rubs shoulders with blue marl and volcanic influences, that he was to write a beautiful page in the history of winegrowing. While his father oscillated between his research on woodcock and the upkeep of his vineyards, Sylvain chose viticulture without hesitation. The neo-winemaker took over the family's 5 hectares in 1989, and vinified the first four vintages in truck tanks, outdoors. In 1993, the winegrower built his own cellar and expanded his estate. He cleared the land to reveal new islands of vines around the family's Aupilhac vineyard. In 1998, a new step was taken with the planting of a unique vineyard: Cocalières, a high-perched amphitheater, a magnetic, north-facing location for pebbly juices born amidst garrigues and woodcock. In the meantime, the maturation process has matured and the wines produced have stood the test of time. The energy deployed, the boundless passion, the respect for the environment in the vineyards, the accuracy of the wines that always express the nature of the place, can only be praised. Sylvain Fadat, accompanied by his wife Désirée since 2000, is unquestionably a figurehead of the region's revival. The personality and energy of the estate's cuvées are the best testimony to this unwavering commitment and renewed passion, which make this beautiful Montpeyroux terroir shine.