The Languedoc is such a vast wine region it might as well have its own language, located in South-West France it is the size of a medium-sized country – 16,500 square miles that houses 300,000 hectares of vineyards. Choosing which wines to buy from the 3000+ wineries here is no mean feat, especially when trying to pick exciting wines from upcoming winemakers, the ones which tick all the necessary boxes of a modern wine list or wine shop – organic, regenerative farming, mindful packaging, on trend and, last-but-not-least, delicious tasting.
This onerous task has been made considerably easier thanks to Languedoc Family, a new wholesale platform that is offering 100 wines from 20 of the finest emerging estates in the region and representing 17 of the most important appellations.
20 of the best, most exciting producers in the Languedoc
Created and led by the smart young team at Domaine Gayda, these predominantly organic estates offer the full diversity of the different terroirs from Limoux to Côtes Catalanes, including key appellations of Terasses du Larzac, Picpoul, Pézenas, Corbières and La Clape.
Languedoc Family was launched in July 2024 in France and, following a successful first year turnover of €1m, is starting its roll out to export markets, kicking off with the UK.
"As winemakers, we have a different perspective to other sales and distribution partners." David Chardron, sales director.
How it all started
Gayda’s sales director David Chardron, who is one of three Gayda directors running the new platform, explains how they started getting wineries on board.
“We looked for young winegrowers with a new philosophy, that also have the same DNA as Gayda, making a style of wine that has lower alcohol, less concentration, and not being the same as everybody else. These are niche wines.”
“They had to be organic-certified or, if not, then carrying out mindful agriculture. They also needed to be offering something different to the rest of their appellations, which I believe at least half of them will soon become real stars of.”
Most of the winemakers were already known to the Gayda team but Chardron and Etienne Courant still undertook an exhaustive tasting of the wineries wishing to take part – cherry-picking the wines they thought would work best – with Gayda head winemaker Vincent Chansault having the final say, “it is his vision,” adds Chardron.
“These winegrowers trust us because we’re also making good wines. And, as winemakers, we have a different perspective to other sales and distribution partners – we know the customers, we know the area and we know the wines. The other key criteria was that these winegrowers were not already distributed – we obviously didn’t want to cannibalise sales.”
The new set-up, Chardron says, benefits both parties.
“It’s not easy for small wine growers, after all they want to be in the vineyard not in a sales environment – and that’s also where customers want winemakers to be – in the vineyard and not out on the road.”
Other benefits for winemakers joining the Languedoc Family are: sharing skill sets through the network; gaining greater visibility through joint campaigns; marketing support; and commercial synergies. Gayda, which was established 20 years ago, has phenomenal distribution in France, covering 85% of the country through 50 reps that collectively look after all 100 departments, so the arrangement gives these smaller estates immediate access to a large, broad market.
Domaine Jaça in Céret farm four hectares of south-east facing vines on a mix of red ochres and schists, 400m up – a good example of the boutique winemaking to be found in Languedoc Family
Benefits to wine buyers
The benefits to wine buyers are similarly diverse. Languedoc Family gives them access to a manageable number of hand-picked Languedoc wines, curated as they are by an award-winning set of winemakers. The wines also reflect the key appellations in the Languedoc so it is a one-stop shop, if you like, of the region. For hospitality buyers, for example, it is an efficient way to feature a number of key appellations on a wine list.
If buyers are already Gayda clients then the platform is even more efficient with just one invoice and one shipment – pallets I saw heading out of the warehouse had both a variety of Gayda wines and an assorted of Languedoc Family wines. There’s also the backing of a sizeable, professionally run outfit, which is important when buying niche wines from a number of small estates dotted all over the place.
“One of Gayda’s strengths is distribution, but then there’s also quality of service, logistics and a strong price policy,” says Chardron. “Languedoc Family is a solution, a service – it’s serious, a selection of quality – selling wine at medium and high level. The timing is also right – this has come at the right time and is good for both parties.”
“We are the only winery doing this that I know of, with the exception of Bouquet de Loire.”
Economies of scale: one pallet with Gayda wines and a selection of Languedoc Family wines
For Gayda this diversification is launching at a time when the market was beginning to flatten. Having expanded its cellar and warehouse in 2020-23, Languedoc Family utilises spare capacity throughout the company, bringing much needed economies of scale.
Gayda turns over €6m per annum with 65% of the business accounted for by its 2400 direct clients in France. The customer base is split 70/30 in favour of shops over gastronomy but, interestingly, Languedoc Family is being bought more by hospitality clients, thereby bringing new accounts to Gayda.
Another side benefit is that, based in Malepère, Gayda is a brand that stepped away from the appellation system, focusing its business model around varietal-driven wines and blended cuvées, such as the flagship red, Chemin du Moscou. With Languedoc Famly, the estate can offer customers interesting, niche wines that represent key appellations of the region.
As for the future of the new platform, Chardron is bullish in aiming to be as big as Gayda in five years’ time, albeit through baby steps – two new wineries are joining the fold in September, ones which produce 100,000 bottles per annum, compared to the average output of 30,000 amongst the existing estates.
Sampling a small selection of the UK-bound wines
Putting Languedoc Family wines to the taste test
As for the wines themselves there’s an impressive selection ranging from sparkling and still from the large-scale Limoux-based producer Domaine J. Laurens to boutique wineries like Domaine Peter Sichel, one of the heirs to Château Palmer making stunning low intervention wines in the high-altitude mountains of Cucugnan. The success of the operation is reflected by some of the wines now only being sold on an allocation basis.
Of the 20 Languedoc Family domaines in France, eight are being rolled out in the UK, picked by style of wine, price point and packaging. All stock is stored in London City Bond and prices below are DDP per bottle.
Domaine Monplézy, Pézénas
Eight wines, both IGP and AOP, hail from the poor soils of the AOP Languedoc-Pézenas and IGP Côtes de Thongue appellations. These wines have really struck a chord and are one of the best-selling ranges in Languedoc Family.
Tasted:
Canon Huppé Rouge 2024 (Cinsault) £7.73 DDP
Light ruby 100% Cinsault that is Clairet-style in brightness, full of wild cherry and raspberry flavours – a real fruit bomb without being confected. There’s a pleasing spicy, grippy mouthfeel –pure pleasure in a glass. Can be served chilled.
Félicité Blanche 2023 (Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier) £10.81 DDP
Great example of what the Languedoc does so well – blending white Rhône varietals with Viognier playing a leading role – expressive nose with notes of white flowers, fennel and honey; in the mouth the wine has a lot of flavour and some power, with acidity and alcohol (14.5%) nicely balanced and a saline finish. Great with shellfish.
Félicité Rouge 2022 (Grenache, Syrah, Carignan) £10.81 DDP
Dark and spicy blend that has black pepper, wild bramble and liquorice notes; in the mouth the wine has fine-grained tannins framing a concentrated palate that is well balanced by a backbone of acidity. Gastronomic.
Clos del Rey, Maury
Although Maury in the Roussillon is best known for its naturally sweet wines, this eight-strong range of wines shows what can be done with a dry style Grenache Noir and Grenache Gris/ Blanc which are grown 300m up in this rugged terrain where the garrigue meets clay-limestone soils.
Tasted:
Baby del Rey 2024 (Grenache Gris) £7.48 DDP
Classic Côtes Catalanes white that bristles with energy. Fresh, textured 100% Grenache Gris that starts with subtle white peach aromas and in the mouth delivers a bright, slightly oily wine perfect for pairing.
Le Sabina Blanc 2024 (Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc) £8.21 DDP
A more serious style with the Grenache Blanc bringing apple notes to the Gris and more body. The acidity keeps everything fresh with the ripe fruit adding balance.
Le Sabina Vermell 2023 (Grenache Noir, Syrah, Carignan) £8.43 DDP
Sweet, dark berry fruits and plums on the nose; in the mouth the wine is voluptuous with silky tannins and a prickle of acidity and minerality keeping it all in check. Lovely dry finish, notes of dark chocolate powder and bags of flavour.
Sarrat de Goundy, La Clape
Olivier Calix has been making a range of unique cuvées for the past 20 years in the harsh terroir of La Clape. Using a wide range of indigenous grapes and fermentation methods, including terracotta jars and clay doliums, the seven wines are mainly all AOP La Clape with a vin de France and AOP Languedoc wine thrown in.
Tasted:
Les Saisonnaires 2024 (Grenache Syrah) £6.98 DDP
Wild blackberry and garrigue notes dominate a characterful and typical Languedoc blend that offers unpretentious enjoyment. Part of a range of restrained alcohol (13% abv) screw top wines in a Burgundy bottle.
Domaine de Cambis, Saint-Chinian
Winemaker Martin Perolari makes a range of six mineral-charged wines from the schist hillsides of Berlou in AOP St Chinian.
Tasted:
Barroco (Cinsault) £8.84 DDP
Astonishing that you can get 100% Cinsault from 70-80 year old vines at this price point, it’s darker and broodier than the Canon Huppé, – garrigue notes, dark fruits, with liquorice – the palate is equally complex with well-judged tannins and a crunch to the fruit. Lovely presence in the mouth.
Mirmanda, Vingrau
Three IGP Côtes du Roussillon wines and one IGP Côtes Catalanes are made by this unique team of renowned sommelier Dominique Laporte and comic, François-Xavier Demaison, making wines in the Agly valley with a range of indigenous grapes grown on a variety of terroirs.
Domaine Jaça, Céret
Four hectares of south-east facing vines on a mix of red ochres and schists, 400m up and surrounded by forests, is the perfect spot for Damien and Lize to make their small range of hand-crafted wines that use Carignan, Syrah and both Grenache Noir and Gris, and benefit from light extraction and minimal sulfur use.
Domaine Le Chemin, Terrasses du Larzac
Seven fresh Vin de France wines using Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan are available, including a fascinating 100% Alicante Blanc de Noir that is direct-pressed with no maceration. One AOP Terrasses du Larzac is on offer, long-aged in barrel and benefitting from this region’s wide diurnal range that gives the wines terrific freshness.
Domaine de Ravanēs, Thézans-Lès-Béziers
This 35-hectare estate was set up by Guy Benin, an early Languedoc pioneer who planted Bordeaux varietals alongside a wide range of indigenous grapes. Top cuvée Les Gravières du Taurou, a blend of Merlot and Petit Verdot, famously out-scored Petrus at a blind tasting of the 1999 vintages (the 2019 vintage is the current release as it has five and a half years ageing)
For further information UK contact is: James Harvey, +44(0)7379 295497
james@domainegayda.com
Domaine Gayda is a commercial partner of The Buyer. To discover more about them click here.
