Faugères

The wine

Twenty kilometres north of Béziers, the Faugères vineyard clings to south-facing hillsides on the foothills of the Espinouse, on primary schist soils that form its unmistakable signature. AOC since 1982 — after VDQS status in 1955 — the appellation spans one thousand five hundred and forty-three hectares cultivated by fifty-seven winemakers and a cooperative cellar. Schist has the unusual property of retaining water in its fissures and releasing the heat stored during the day, creating exceptional conditions for grape ripening. The wines, built on Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Carignan, are eighty percent reds, rounded out by rosés (fifteen percent) and rare whites (six percent). On the palate, aromas of ripe fruit and liquorice dominate young wines, evolving towards leather and gun flint with age. Serve with braised game, lamb with herbs, or a wood-fire côte de bœuf.