Sylvain Fadat and his wife Désirée both have an obsession with vines and terroir. They founded their domain in Montpeyroux, some thirty kilometres north-west of Montpellier, a little over twenty years ago. Their 22-hectare vineyards are planted on two very different terroirs: the south-west-facing terraces of the Aupilhac lieu-dit, and the Les Cocalières site – higher, and therefore cooler – where Syrah is so much at home, and therefore dominates. The northernmost part is home to white grapes (Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc and Rolle). Here, both the landscape and the wines have been shaped by human hands; ploughing, manual harvesting, minimal intervention, bottling without filtration: everything possible is done to preserve the identity of the terroir as much as possible.

Lou Maset is the domain’s easy-drinking red. The wine is matured for six months in foudres and has crisp fruit, delicious juice and a silky texture. It’s also fresh and full of flavour. Pair with cured meats, white meat or grills.