Meet the Maker: Mas des Agrunelles #6

Meet the Maker: Mas des Agrunelles #6

Wine Maker

Stéphanie Ponson & Frédéric Porro
Country
France
Region
Languedoc
Red Varietals
Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Cinscault
White Varietals
Chardonnay, Viognier, Roussanne, Marssanne 

Winemaker

Stéphanie + Frédéric are the couple that make up this (bio)dynamic vineyard, Mas Des Argunelles. Known for their organic + Biodynamic wines.

Frédéric is a self-made man. Even though he didn’t grow up surrounded with vineyards, he was soon interested in the art of testing. As a result, his two sisters gave him the helm of the wine card for the restaurant they founded in 1993, in Clermont l’Hérault. Following his studies, the training he got from conscious winemakers such as Sylvain Fadat and Xavier Peyraud, reinforced his will to only give his best while remaining careful, intelligent and accurate.

Stéphanie followed a more traditional path as she was born in a wine-growing environment.

In 2004, while Frédéric already had a few plots of his own in Argelliers, she inherited from Mas de Perry in Murles, a domain that has been in her family since 1773 and where she gained first-hand experience.

Because they shared a common interest in nearby villages, they joined forces and put their respective knowledge in the mix. Eager to apply the principles they resonate the most with, they turn to organic and biodynamic agriculture.

In addition to the annual harvest, they can perform what they call « mini vinif », a way to conduct experiments in line with a vinification free from sulphur and extra products. They devoted three of four vats to  those trials in order to refine their expertise.

 Choices they made require patience, will and dedication.

From the start, they offered two vintages including the renowned Cariño, a 100% Carignan red wine — proving once again their creativity.

They’ve put out more than ten wine varieties ever since.

 

The Land

Located 20 km to the northwest of Montpellier in the communes of Argelliers and La Boissiere, at an average altitude of 200 m, influenced by a cold wind coming from the Cevennes via St Martin de Londres, where both Mistral and Tramontane reach that blowing point.

These become, in our opinion, advantages when it is a question of producing low yield high-class wines. The absence of drought which would cause to homogenize the temperature, causes enormous thermal amplitudes (it is not rare that in August one raises 7 or 8 C° degrees with the rising of the sun) allowing to reach, with the condition of controlling the outputs, phenolic maturity while preserving a total acidity and an astonishing pH for the area.

This, associated with an adapted vine growing and some stone limestone grounds, convinced me to invest here rather than on a soil already recognised.

 

Winemaking Process

 

In organic and biodynamic agriculture, winemaking is about finding a balance with the environment and putting back vineyard at the heart of its environment.

The work they put on the soil requires roots to grow deep and natural yeast to be permeated with their environment all year long… “notre façon de travailler marque énormément l’identité du terroir.”

They’re guided by this very philosophy in the cellar with minimal technology and a low intervention process. Thus, the wine can freely develop its strong identity.

They do not use any method or add any product that could result in standardisation of their wines.  

Their plots enjoy a microclimate proper to the geography that gives their wines a rather unusual balance and complexity for the region.

They offer a wide range of wine varieties as each plot has its own and separate vinification.

For this reason and because authenticity is amongst their core values, each plot has its own wine variety, whenever it is possible.

 

View our range of Mas des Agrunelles’s Wines.

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