T he Languedoc, a large area covering much of the south of France , seems to inspire entrepreneurs. I have featured the wines of Gérard Bertrand and Laurent Miquel here before. Both are sons of vignerons who ignored the rules and tradition to produce good inexpensive wines that were a little bit different. Today we look at the wines of Jean-Claude Mas, another maverick producer who has been enormously successful on the export market.
“The French AOC rules don’t suit us in the Languedoc,” Mas tells me. “They were made to suit Bordeaux and Burgundy.” So, most of his wines are varietal and not all are native to the Languedoc. He produces a riesling, rarely seen in France outside Alsace.
“Argentina is my reference for malbec ,” he says. His ripe rounded wine is aged in American oak barrels instead of the usual French. “They are good for Mediterranean wines,” he says.
Mas is a fourth-generation grower, but the first to actually make wine; his predecessors sold grapes to the co-op. His father gave him 35 hectares of vines in 1987 and, having studied business and worked in various sales positions unrelated to wine, he returned home to set up Domaines Paul Mas in 1999. Readers may remember a wine called Arrogant Frog, one of his first export successes.
The business has grown exponentially. He now owns 14 estates in the Languedoc as well as one in the Rhône Valley, and farms 1,000 hectares of vines. He sells 22 million bottles to more than 70 markets around the world. He describes himself as making old world wines using new world attitudes. “I love things that give you real emotions, and wine does that,” he says.
Dunnes Stores has recently listed some wines from Jean-Claude Mas, including a range of varietal wines. Molloys Liquor Stores also has a long-term relationship with the business and imports a number of different wines.
Broad, rounded pear fruits with intense lime zest, and a good dry finish. Try it with lighter pork and chicken dishes or maybe scallops or crab.
Ripe and rounded with smooth dark fruits and a touch of vanilla. Good with red meats or mushroom dishes.
Rich and textured with tropical fruits and harmonious buttery notes. Try it with salmon or creamy chicken dishes.
Rugged and full-bodied with layers of ripe dark fruits, a touch of vanilla and a good firm finish. Good with substantial red meat dishes. Would be great with cassoulet or an autumnal bean stew.