Mas Farchat in Pézenas: from cooperative winery to private estate

Hélène Jougla is the winemaker at Mas Farchat , an estate that produces limited-production wines crafted from the small, high-quality terroir of Pézenas in the south of France. Hélène took over the family vineyards with the goal of transitioning from the cooperative winery to her own estate. After several years of winemaking in her garage, Hélène will finally have her own winery. The range of wines will expand, much to the delight of the winemaker and wine lovers alike.

Mas Farchat offers limited-production wines.

Mas Farchat produces limited-production wines characteristic of the Coteaux du Languedoc-Pézenas appellation. " Since we started making wine, we've worked in our semi-underground garage. As a result, the temperature conditions are good, but we can only have a few tanks. Consequently, we have small volumes and a range with only two reds and one rosé. Our goal is therefore to make wines focused on quality ," explains Hélène Jougla, owner and winemaker of Mas Farchat.

Hélène Jougla is betting on the quality of the wines

Rouky and Génèse are the names of the two red wines from Mas Farchat. The first is a fruity, pleasant, and relatively supple wine. The second is a more structured and full-bodied wine with a rich texture.

Hélène explains: “ To create these wines, we work on the ripeness of the grapes. Rouky comes from grapes harvested quite early. During vinification, fermentation is short and takes place at low temperatures between 20 and 22°C. Génèse is a wine whose grapes are harvested at optimal ripeness. They undergo a longer maceration at 28°C to properly coat the tannins. ”

The blend also differs from one vintage to another. Syrah, with its spicy aromas, dominates the Génèse wine; Grenache, with its fruitiness and roundness, gives Rouky its distinctive character.

To achieve such a result, the work begins in the vineyard. " I pay very close attention to the vines to ensure very high-quality grapes ," notes Hélène. This involves short pruning, trellising, and low yields.

Regarding treatments, it's the bare minimum. " In our area, we have very little water. Furthermore, given our low yields, trellising, and short pruning, the vines are very well-ventilated and therefore less susceptible to disease. " Perfect conditions that Hélène intends to take full advantage of, and more: " We want to switch to inter-row cultivation because I'm against glyphosate. The less there is on the plots, the better. Besides, inter-row cultivation works the soil well, and I think that's excellent ," the winemaker states with conviction.

The Pézenas terroir, an up-and-coming Languedoc appellation

Hélène explains: “In Pézenas, we are on sandstone and limestone soils. The unifying element of the terroir is the basalt flow that starts from the chain of volcanoes further in the center and goes all the way to Agde. We have basalt stones in the vineyards .”

This unique terroir gives Pézenas wines a tendency to highlight all the black fruits, red fruits, and spices. Indeed, Hélène notes that " in the bottled wines, the blackcurrant flavor is very pronounced, and the spices are quite noticeable. "

Today, Pézenas is a sub-appellation within the Languedoc region, which is called Coteaux du Languedoc-Pézenas . " The Pézenas AOC is an appellation in development ," Hélène tells us, " the INAO (National Institute of Origin and Quality) came last year; within three years, the Pézenas controlled appellation should exist ."

The winemaker's profession: from the cooperative winery to the private estate

When Hélène took over her father's vineyards, all the grapes were sold to a cooperative winery. However, she didn't feel comfortable with this production method and quickly decided to leave it. " Something was missing ," she explains. " Working in the vineyards wasn't really fulfilling. I wanted to see the process through to the end to find out what my work throughout the year could yield. "

Of her total 16 hectares, only 2 hectares can currently be vinified in the small garage converted into a winery. But starting with the next harvest, Hélène should be able to bring more volume into her own cellar. " Finally ," she exclaims, " we've been working on this project since 2012. The winery should be built this year. " On the agenda for the 2017 harvest: a new winery, more wine produced on the estate, and an expanded range. " I have a very diverse range of vineyard plots, and I'd like to develop the range with a white wine," explains Hélène.

When the passion for horses meets the passion for wine

In addition to wine, Hélène is passionate about horses. She is keen to create a link between these two passions: " My first horse was named Rouky de Farchat. I named my estate and one of my two red wines after him, " she explains. " There's a real connection that forms very quickly with people who love horses, " she has observed. While this second passion remains a hobby for now, she is considering integrating it more seriously into the estate: " I would like to develop wine tourism activities centered around horses, " Hélène muses.

But the final word goes to her passion for her work as a winemaker:

“ I love being in the countryside. I find it fascinating to plant a wooden cutting in the ground that one day becomes a great wine on the dinner table. That's the story of wine: we start from nothing to arrive at something excellent in a bottle. It's very diverse and exciting. ”

To discover Mas Farchat sur les Grappes, click here.

Manon Mouly (for Les Grappes)