In 1998, Frédéric Pourtalié left his local co-operative to found Domaine de Montcalmès. He had already studied under the most demanding of producers: Alain Graillot at Crozes-Hermitage and Olivier Jullien (Mas Jullien) and Laurent Vaillé at La Grange des Pères. To explain, Montcalmès, La Grange des Pères and Mas de Daumas Gassac are all sited around the village of Aniane in the Terrasses du Larzac – an enormous terroir whose profile these three domains have succeeded in raising. Located some thirty kilometres north-west of Montpelier, the operation covers 22 hectares of Terrasses du Larzac-appellation vines. The wines of Montcalmès have grown continually in precision and balance, and are now ranked among the finest wines of the Languedoc.

The grapes are aged in oak barrels and second or third-fill demi-muids for 24 months. Six months before bottling, they are then blended in barriques and demi-muids. The nose is both elegant and moreish and the palate is superb – both clean and flavoursome with a pleasing mineral finish.