Son of the iconic René Lafon (of Domaine des Comtes Lafon in Burgundy), Bruno Lafon settled in the Languedoc in 1999 “because something was happening there”. He took over the running of the Magellan domain, based both on the terroir of Pech Redon (pebbly, with perfect drainage, soils which stored freshness), and Caves de Paris (quaternary period terraces, rounded pebbles which retain heat during the summer nights). It wouldn’t be wrong to compare this domain to those we find in Châteauneuf-du-Pape: widely-varying terroirs, ten or so grape varieties, vines trained en gobelets…

The grape varieties of the cuvée Alios is worth mentioning; as well as Grenache and Syrah, the last third is made up of the king of Spanish varieties, Tempranillo. This IGP Pays d’Hérault is often characterised by smoky notes, a result of its maturing in barrels. On the palate, the wine has black fruits flavours, soft tannins and a long finish.