Some prominent wine tycoons have the air of Roman emperors, aloof and intimidating, naming no names, but not Jean-Claude Mas. With his mad professor hair and mischievous gleam in his eye, he's more impish rather than imperial.
We met on a sweltering Paris night over an informal dinner with his wife and various members of the Les Domaines Paul Mas team. JC, as people call him, was relaxed and full of bonhomie. As were his employees. No one was going to be fed to the lions.
25 years and counting: Alexandra and Jean-Claude Mas, Paris celebrations, June 18, 2025
With our food, we tucked into some of his Limoux wines, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which show how Paul Mas has few peers in offering excellence at the right price. Both were a scarcely believable €24 on the wine list.
The following day there was a party for customers and journalists at the Cordon Bleu cookery school on the banks of the Seine to celebrate 25 years of Paul Mas. The Mas family had been growing grapes in the Languedoc since 1892 but they had never marketed their own wines until 2000. JC named the business, with typical modesty, after his father rather than himself. Initially the focus was on export but the company began selling wines in France in 2015.
As a nod to the global nature of the business, there was food from all over the world prepared by chefs in enormous toques who could have stepped straight out of Floyd on France or Rataouille. Something I always want to see when I’m in Paris. Britain was represented by fish and chips, naturally, and France by foie gras. There was nearly a diplomatic incident, however, when the American offering, a hot dog, came out of the kitchen bearing a Union Jack. Sacré bleu!
Ooops!
Despite being born into a vigneron family, Jean-Claude brought an outsider's perspective to the business. He studied for an MBA at Aston University in England and worked in Miami before taking over the family's 35-hectare estate. Today, Paul Mas covers 17 domaines in the Languedoc and Roussillon, encompassing 950 hectares plus over 1,500 hectares under contract with more than 80 growers. Chances are, if you buy a Languedoc wine in a supermarket, it will be from Paul Mas.
According to Jean-Claude, the big change in the Midi has come from better winemaking: "There were always growers with good fruit but it was mishandled in the cellar." The secret to making great wine at an affordable price are "good raw materials, winemaking, and blending," he continued.
Jean-Claude opened 60 wines, many of which were never intended for long ageing
We were lucky enough to try the very first Paul Mas wine, a Syrah-dominated Clos de Mures 1999, a vintage never officially released. In fact, we got to try every vintage of Clos de Mures ever made and all of them were in fine fettle with some particular gems like the 2009. It wasn't only the Clos de Mures; even more affordable wines like his classic Chardonnay-Viognier blend from 2012 had aged well.
JC commented: "When I made these wines, I never thought that they would keep for so long." The only trouble he'd had was with cork. In the early days, "I was screwed by cork suppliers," he said.
One of the many older vintages that were showing beautifully
Even better than the old wines were the new ones, with everything from the cheaper white blends to the cool climate Limoux wines to premium Belluguette and Oenothera labels showing beautifully.
After a while, however, I became overwhelmed by the sheer number of wines and the impossibility of navigating the booklet, so I stopped taking notes and just enjoyed myself. According to Jean-Pierre Tuil, Paul Mas’s octogenarian PR man, it could have been ‘worse’ – Jean-Claude wanted to show 250 wines but was talked down to 60.
His wines are both traditional, paying respect to the classic terroirs of the Languedoc, and modern, featuring international varieties like Merlot, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. He explained that in strong appellations, the marketing is around the appellations, but in weaker ones, it's about varietal wines. There's also that impish sense of humour, such as the Arrogant Frog range.
One thing Jean-Claude won't be offering are lower alcohol alternatives to get around Britain's new 'simplified' duty rates that penalise wines with higher alcohol levels.
"Lowering alcohol is an industrial process that is bad for the quality of wine. I hate that. I don't want to compete with beer," he said. His worry is that people will try these wines and "feel cheated." He suggested that people "put an ice cube in the wine" if they want it weaker.
He also says, "No way to zero alcohol!" As you might guess, he's not a fan of the new prohibitionist movement in government and public health. "Twenty years ago people were saying wine is good for your health. Now people are saying it is not healthy. We should advertise that wine is good for your palate, your body, and your soul." Hear hear!
So, here's to another 25 years of bringing high quality distinctive wines to the masses. JC promised that at the next milestone event, there will be even more to try.
Three Paul Mas highlights:
Les Domaines Paul Mas Coteaux du Languedoc Belluguette 2023
An hedonistic blend of Rolle, Grenache Blanc, Viognier and others which gives Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc a run for its money.
Domaine de Martinolles Limoux Chardonnay Vieilles Vignes 2024
A barrel-fermented style of Chardonnay that balances opulent creaminess with a limey zing. It's rich but perfectly balanced.
Château des Crès Ricards Terrasses du Larzac Oenothera 2022
Another powerful wine that carries its weight beautifully. This Syrah and Grenache blend screams Languedoc with its ripe dark fruit and herbal garrigue notes.
