From the cave to the cellar
Mas Farchat is in the small village of Gabian, northwest of Pézenas, and located at the heart of the region of the appelation Coteaux du Languedoc, between Faugères and Cabrières.
Since 2011 this family-run domaine has started to make its own wines: the first results of this new enterprise are two red wines: Genese and Mas Farchat, and a white wine and a rose will follow shortly. A brand new winemaking cave designed by the architect Bruno Lapostat will soon be built so that we can develop our range and make our wines in the best possible conditions.
The AOP Languedoc-Pézenas
AOP stands for “Appellation d’Origine Protégé”
- Annual production is 5,000 hectolitres (half a million litres).
- Towns included: Adissan, Aspiran, Caux, Fontes, Fouzilhon, Gabian, Lieuran-Cabrieres, Montesquieu, Neffies, Nizas, Paulhan, Peret, Pezenas, Roujan, Vailhan.
- Grape varieties permitted: syrah, grenache noir, mourvedre, cinsault and carignan, the wine having to be made from at least two of these.
- Soils: Villefranchian gravel, shale, limestone and sandstone, and including volcanic deposits of basalt.
- Strength: the alcohol level must be greater than 12.5%.
- Yield: limited to a maximum of 45 hectolitres per hectare.
- Wines are put on the market no sooner than 1st September of the year following the harvest.
Source : Pézenas city
Hélène Jougla
A woman of passions
Hélène is the daughter of a vinegrowing family, born and bred in the village of Gabian. After a keen interest in classical ballet, her first love was for horses, an interest she still pursues today. Her very first horse was named Rouky de Farchat, and it’s in his memory that she named her cave Mas Farchat. When she left school, the future for winemaking looked bleak in the region, and she studied Tourism, but then decided to return to take over the family vineyard, an activity in which she is now professionally qualified.
A real countrywoman at heart, Hélène nevertheless likes travel to broaden her horizons. But at home she likes nothing better than an evening with friends round the dinner table – accompanied, of course, by a good bottle of wine!