PRODUCER: Mas D'Amile
REGION: Montpeyroux, Terrasses du Larzac
WINEMAKER: Amélie d’Hurlaborde
Mas d’Amile produce the ultimate garage wines, genuinely made in a garage. “Garagiste” is a term used to describe a small-scale wine operation, often one working outside the norms of the region or appellation. It has become something of a catch-all for almost any small producer, but in this case Mas d’Amile more than fulfil the criteria - although they do now also have a cellar outside Montpeyroux, as well as a garage!
WINERY HISTORY
This wonderfully petite operation began when brother and sister Sébastien and Amélie d’Hurlaborde inherited a hectare of ancient Carignan vines (now 90+ years old) from their grandfather, from which they made their first wine in 2007. With the help of Montpeyroux's well-known vigneron Sylvain Fadat, along with her father (the village's popular, long-time mayor), that single hectare has grown into nearly ten hectares of Grenache (Noir and Blanc), Syrah, Mourvèdre and Terret Blanc.
The estate is now very much a family affair: Amélie works at the domaine full time, while her husband Jérôme helps out. They make five wines: two from historic Languedoc varieties (Vieux Carignan and Terret) a luscious rosé, two blends of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan, one from AOP Languedoc-Montpeyroux and one from AOP Terrasses du Larzac, and a mineral-driven white from Grenache Blanc.
VITICULTURE & WINEMAKING
All vineyard parcels are located in the commune of Montpeyroux within the appellation of Terrasses du Larzac, and lie between 90-300 metres in elevation at the base of the Cevennes Mountains. The soils here are very rocky - predominantly limestone rubble - and infertile, naturally limiting vine vigour and yields. Diurnal shifts are radical, too - temperatures drop significantly at night thanks to the cold air sweeping off the imposing Larzac plateau, making this one of Languedoc's latest ripening appellations.
The vines have been farmed biodynamically since 2015 and everything is done by hand across these wonderful vineyards. Vinification is resolutely traditional and stripped back: spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, élevage in neutral French oak, and bottling without fining or filtration, and with minimal SO₂. From the uncomplicated, fruit‑driven Le Petitou to the complex, structured single‑vineyard Le Clos, these are soulful, genuine wines that capture a distinctly Mediterranean character and rustic charm without sacrificing drinkability or balance.
Forget the old “cheap bulk wine” stereotype; this part of France is turning out bottles with real personality and a genuine sense of place.
GRAPE VARIETIES
Grenache Noir, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache Blanc and Terret Blanc.
