On the winemakers' road: Loire, Languedoc and the art of terroir

In April the fine weather finally showed up, so we hit the road: two trips to meet the winemakers, to tell their stories ever better, unearth good wines, and understand their terroirs and the way they vinify.

Quite a day ahead: a night-time departure to start at 9am at Guiberteau, one of the leading names of Loire wine. We knew they had no wine left — an order book filled to the brim — but even at 9am we were in good enough shape to turn on the charm. We talked rugby (Stade Toulousain), local winemakers and good living… and we left with a few bottles and a strong chance of a small allocation in 2027.

Then on to Aurélia and Étienne Moly's estate: a royal welcome, a cellar tour, a tasting of the 2025 barrels — and of course the 2024, freshly bottled. We were treated to Étienne's show, explaining how he works and what he tries to convey through his wines. We were as wide-eyed as kids. Ivan Massonnat, owner of Domaine Belargus, joined us for the winemakers' lunch: all fiercely proud of their region, yet delighted to point us to other winemakers doing great work. Once again, we drank very good wine.

One day, four estates — ambitions were high: 9am at Domaine Montcalmès, 10.30am at Cassagne et Vitailles, noon at La Terrasse d'Élise and 2.30pm at L'Oratoire Saint Jean d'Aureilhan.

What we can tell you: these estates have talent, incredible terroir and magnificent wines. Some are already more than famous, and we promise you will soon hear about the others.

There is no real English translation. "Terroir" is one of the rare French words that the English, Americans, Australians and Japanese ended up adopting as is — a small linguistic victory to be proud of. Behind the term lies a deep idea: a wine is not merely the product of a recipe, it is the imprint of a place.

The Romans had already understood it: Pliny the Elder noted that wines from certain hills were worth infinitely more than those from neighbouring plains, without knowing why. It was in the Middle Ages, thanks to the Cistercian monks of Burgundy, that the idea truly took shape. Those monks tasted… the earth. Literally: they crumbled it between their fingers, sometimes put it in their mouths, to understand what made a given plot unique. They thus delimited the first clos, direct ancestors of our appellations d'origine contrôlée. Burgundy today counts more than 1,200 appellations on a territory barely twice the size of Paris.

Soil first: clay, limestone, granite, schist or volcanic basalt as in Sicily. It dictates a wine's minerality, structure and acidity. The great Chardonnays of Chablis owe their mouth-watering tension to Kimmeridgian soil, a marine limestone packed with oyster fossils 150 million years old. Yes: you are drinking the geological history of the Earth.

Climate next: temperatures, sunshine, rainfall. There are oceanic climates (Bordeaux, temperate and steady), continental ones (Burgundy, with its famous spring frosts), Mediterranean ones (the Languedoc, hot and dry) and mountain climates (the Swiss Valais, the northern Rhône). Altitude plays a growing role: Mendoza's Malbec, in Argentina, grows at up to 3,000 metres.

Relief conditions sun exposure and drainage. In Alsace, the Vosges shield the vines from rain and create one of the driest microclimates in France, with barely 500 mm of rainfall a year.

And finally, people. Terroir is not fixed in stone: growing practices, vine pruning, winemaking — all of it belongs to terroir in the broad sense. UNESCO recognised as much in 2010 by inscribing the Climats of the Burgundy vineyard as a World Heritage site, a first for a vineyard.

The New World long bet on the grape — "Cabernet", "Chardonnay" — rather than on origin. But things are changing. In California, Napa Valley now distinguishes its sub-appellations (Rutherford, Oakville, Stags Leap…). In Chile, the Casablanca Valley reveals fresh Pinot Noirs thanks to the Pacific's sea mists. In South Africa, Swartland's black-schist terroirs yield Chenin Blancs of staggering complexity. The whole world is rediscovering that place has something to say.

Calling all lovers of good bottles and good cheer: ready your taste buds, we are heading for the Languedoc sun for a flavour-packed tasting. On the programme: generous wines, character, aromas that sing of the South, and above all the kind of convivial moment we love. Whether you are a seasoned connoisseur or simply curious, come raise a glass, share and be surprised — 28 May from 7.30pm to 9.30pm, €50 for non-members and €45 for members.

Maxime Magnon is the Burgundian who landed in Durban-Corbières in 2002. Trained alongside the greatest names in natural wine — Thierry Allemand, Philippe Valette, Anselme Selosse — he settled on old abandoned vines that he has been patiently reviving: 19 hectares at 200 metres of altitude, on schist and clay-limestone soils, worked entirely by hand, without pesticides. Certified since 2007, biodynamics on top. Influenced by the Beaujolais school, he offers a unique style within the Corbières appellation — fruit, freshness, finesse and drinkability — with uncommon precision and balance. La Revue du Vin de France awarded him 94/100.

Saint Jacques (€19.90), the estate's maritime cuvée, born of 4 hectares recently acquired in Peyriac-de-Mer on white marl and sandstone: a red built on freshness and fruit. L'Estrade (€19.90), a blend of Grenache for breadth and Macabeu for freshness: toasted almond, small white flowers, mineral and lively — perfect from aperitif to grilled prawns. La Métisse (€22.50), the estate's rosé and one of the region's best according to the RVF: deep colour, intense red fruit, spicy touches, a dense juicy palate — a serious, vinous rosé with no time for poolside spritzes. Campagnès (€33.50), the estate's flagship, from century-old Carignan on north-facing schist: whole bunches, indigenous yeasts, 18 months in old casks — tension, purity, persistence, and a wine that truly blossoms with cellaring. La Bégou (€32.50), the great white: Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc and Carignan Gris from 60-to-80-year-old vines, a fleshy nose of white flowers, apricot and candied peach, and a saline, iodine persistence rare in the South — a southern white with a northern soul. And Cuvée Rose (€46), an absolute rarity dedicated to Maxime's daughter: 1,000 bottles, not every year, 90% Grenache co-fermented in wooden vats, 12 months in foudre — an elegant, intense red with 15 to 20 years of ageing potential. If you own one, count yourself lucky.

The story begins in 1999 with two friends with impressive CVs: Matthieu Cosse, a Bordeaux-trained oenologist and former rugby player, and Catherine Maisonneuve, formerly of Château Léoville Las Cases. Starting from 5 hectares on the limestone scree of Lacapelle-Cabanac, they now farm 28 hectares under Demeter-certified biodynamics. Their mission: to rehabilitate Cahors Malbec, long deemed too rustic, by giving it finesse, elegance and drinkability. Mission accomplished — the RVF ranks them among the "great reference estates" with 2 stars.

Le Combal (€13.50), the gateway to the estate: draining, stony soils with quartz pebbles for a surprisingly airy, digestible Malbec — black fruit, a rich ample palate without heaviness, to drink now with pleasure. La Fage (€20), from clay-gravel third-terrace soils: more clay, hence more density — black fruit, floral touches, plush elegant tannins, fifteen years of ageing potential yet already generous. La Marguerite (€68), the estate's star: 2.5 hectares of iron-rich red clays, planted in 2001 with Malbec vines sourced in Touraine — Matthieu Cosse waited ten years for the first harvest. A concentrated nose of blackberry and cherry, a silky palate of a power and minerality unique in the region: 97/100 in the RVF, among the very great wines of France.

Luc Jourdan restored his great-grandfather's cellar in 2009, on 3 hectares of schist and rolled pebbles, in one of the Languedoc's most exciting appellations. Everything is organic, yields are tiny, and every cuvée bears a name that makes you look up at the sky.

Fleur de Lune (€11.40), a delicate, floral white from the Terrasses du Larzac, a perfect match for fish and poultry — the moon in a bottle, no less. Douceur Céleste (€11.40), a red balanced between roundness and freshness, floral (violet, rose) with a silky palate — perfect for summer grills, or honestly any other occasion. And Au-delà des Rêves (€17.40), Grenache and Syrah, the summit cuvée: undergrowth, spices, black fruit, silky melted tannins — a wine that lives up to its name: once tasted, it is hard to come back down to earth.