By Christine Salins.
Instead of a bunch of flowers this coming Mother’s Day, consider this wine from France’s Languedoc region. It’s from a collection called Le Fleur and the bottles are decorated with lillies, roses and other flowers that proliferate in and around the vineyard.
Just as thoughtful and memorable as a bouquet of flowers, the Jean-Claude Mas Le Fleur Collection is inspired by both the vineyards the wines come from and the varietals that are used to craft them. The unique printing technique used to decorate the bottles makes each bottle individual.
For this collection, Jean-Claude Mas, owner/winemaker at Domaine Paul Mas, has drawn on vines planted on the old saltwater marsh of Marseillette in the Languedoc, classifying them as IGP Pays d’Oc.
A bed of salt lies deep beneath the clay soils and each winter the vineyards are flooded to remove the salinity. This specialised technique also protects the vines from frost.
The area has a very special ecosystem, full of wildlife and surrounded by flowers. Lillies and roses border the vineyards, and the cover crops are a mix of herbs and seven different flowers. Wild mustard is a particular favourite of the sheep which feast between the vines.
A disciple of precision winemaking, Jean-Claude Mas employs the latest technology to preserve natural fruit characters and linear freshness, the results of which are seen in his charming La Fleur Collection.
Mas has often been described as belonging to the ‘new wave’ of French wines, subtly blending tradition with a New World attitude. He is on a mission to give Languedoc back its former glory in a region where wine production goes back more than 2000 years.
“To me, the Languedoc represents terroir meeting modernity, a blend between French expertise, Tuscan style and the dynamism of California,” he has said.
The wines are available nationally at Dan Murphy’s for a recommended price of $19.99.
Domaines Paul Mas 2021 Jean-Claude Mas Le Sauvignon Blanc: The quintessential South of France experience where the warm, dry growing seasons lead to perfectly ripe grapes and seductive wines. Most of this wine is aged for four months on fine lees in stainless steel, with a tiny amount aged in French oak for the same amount of time. This gives it a lovely softness that personally I find much more appealing than the grassy herbaceousness of many Aussie Sav Blancs.
Domaines Paul Mas 2021 Jean-Claude Mas Le Pinot Grigio: The vineyard’s Mediterranean climate with oceanic influences produces a crisp, easy-drinking white, albeit with a gorgeous velvety texture from a small amount of time ageing on fine lees. The best of both worlds.
Domaines Paul Mas 2021 Jean-Claude Mas Le Rosé: Pretty in pink, this refreshing Rosé is a melange of five different grape varieties. Soft and delicate with enticing cherry aromas, it serves up loads of flavour and a tongue-tingling zestiness.
