Domaines Paul Mas expansion in the Herault

By Arabella Mileham

Published: 14 May, 2015

Languedoc producer Domaine Paul Mas has added a ninth vineyard to his estate, Domaine Silène des Peyrals in Hérault and is already eyeing up a tenth estate in Corbière..

Languedoc producer Domaine Paul Mas has added a ninth vineyard to his estate, Domaine Silène des Peyrals in Hérault and is already eyeing up a tenth estate in Corbière.

The 57ha Silene estate in the AOP Languedoc Cru Gres de Montpellier, which was bought with Jean-Claude Mas and his mentor Giorgio Grai in November, will be a flagship vineyard that will concentrate on producing Franco-Italian style wine.

Just under half of the new estate is managed organically, but Mas intends to move production across his vineyards to organic methods over the next few years. Currently around 25% of the total vineyards are farmed organically, and around 5% of the grapes bought under contract.

The acquisition is part of Mas' ongoing strategy to boost the hectarage of his privately owned estates in order to control vinification along the entire wine-making process. The nine vineyards under Domaine Paul Mas currently covers more than 500 ha, but Mas aims to expand the holdings by at least 200 ha during 2015.

"We need to grow more to maintain yields," he said.

Domaine Paul Mas is one of France's largest privately-owned winery outside Champagne. In February last year the company announced the purchase of its eighth vineyard, La Ferrandiere, a 100-hectare property in Aude in the south of France, in February last year.

Wines from the Silène estate will be shown at the London Wine Fair next week along with its new Astelia Grande Reserve Cremant de Limoux, and wines from a French variety Clairette de Languedoc, which comes from the Pezenas region in the Herault valley, and which Mas told Harpers could be the "landmark" white wine for the region and tap into the growing popularity for Picooul de Pinet.

"It accounts for the large portion of white wine and I think Clairette can be the emblematic grape of the Languedoc," he said.

This week the company launched its Paul Mas Clairette into Morrison.

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