La Liquière is a 60-hectare family-run property entirely devoted to Faugères, an appellation located on the low foothills of the Cévennes which is known for its stony, hard ground (the famous schist soil here is very permeable and acidic, with low fertility). François Vidal, his sister Sophie, his brother-in-law Laurent and their parents share the daily task of cultivating the vines and vinification, following the seasons. Although Sophie and Laurent are oenologists, François is trained in law. Twenty years later, though, he needs no-one to plead in his favour, having long since won the room over. The Vidals are undergoing the second year of organic conversion, cultivating their vines with care and consistency. Here, biodiversity has been preserved and they work hard, with manual ploughing and organic fertilisers, to maintain it. That's why the domain, located amid scrubland and green oak forests, is entirely cultivated by hand, despite abrupt slopes. The domain's wines are an ideal reflection of the expression of this schist terroir, sited at an altitude of between 150 and 400 metres. The red wines are produced traditionally from Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Mourvèdre and Cinsault; the whites are made from Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Terret and Clairette.

On this terroir of Faugères schist, the Cistus is the domain’s finest cuvée, produced from a selection of parcels which benefit from a meticulous élevage in large barrels and demi-muids. Complex and velvety, and dominated by aromas of ripe red fruits, along with some chocolate and thyme notes, Cistus is a concentrated wine with a dense, mineral palate which is already drinking beautifully.