Mas Farchat: From Cooperative to Estate in Pézenas

Hélène Jougla is the winemaker at Mas Farchat, a winery that produces limited-release 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.

Mas Farchat offers exclusive vintages

Mas Farchat produces exclusive wines that are characteristic of the Coteaux du Languedoc-Pézenas appellation. “Ever since we started making wine, we’ve been working in our semi-underground garage. As a result, the temperature conditions are ideal, but we can only fit a limited number of tanks. Consequently, we produce small volumes and offer a range consisting of just two reds and one rosé. Our goal, therefore, is to make wines focused on quality,” explains Hélène Jougla, owner and winemaker at Mas Farchat.

Hélène Jougla focuses on the quality of her wines

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

Hélène explains: “To produce these wines, we focus on the ripeness of the grapes. Rouky is made from grapes harvested relatively early. During vinification, fermentation is short and takes place at low temperatures between 20 and 22°C. Génèse is a cuvée made from grapes harvested at optimal ripeness. They undergo a longer maceration at 28°C to fully integrate the tannins.”

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

To achieve this result, the work begins in the vineyard. “I take great care of the vines to ensure high-quality grapes,” notes Hélène. This involves short pruning, trellising, and low yields.

As for treatments, we keep them to an absolute minimum. “In our region, we have very little water. Plus, since our yields are low, we use trellising, and we prune short, the vines are very well-ventilated and therefore not very susceptible to disease. ” Perfect conditions that Hélène intends to use to her advantage—and more: “We want to switch to inter-row cultivation because I’m against glyphosate. The less of it there is on the plots, the better. Plus, inter-row cultivation works the soil well, and I think that’s great,” the winemaker asserts with conviction.

The Pézenas region, an up-and-coming appellation in Languedoc

Hélène explains: “In Pézenas, we have sandstone and limestone soils. The defining feature of the terroir is the basalt flow that originates from the volcanic range further inland and extends all the way to Agde. We have basalt stones in the vineyard.”

This distinctive feature of the terroir gives Pézenas wines a tendency to highlight notes of dark fruits, red fruits, and spices. Indeed, Hélène notes that “in the bottled vintages, the wine expresses strong notes of blackcurrant, and the spices come through clearly.”

Today, Pézenas is a sub-appellation of the Languedoc appellation known as Coteaux du Languedoc-Pézenas. “The Pézenas AOC is an appellation in the making,” Hélène tells us. “The INAO visited last year; within three years, the Pézenas AOC should be established.”

The Life of a Female Winemaker: 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 identify with that production model and quickly decided to break away from it. “Something was missing for me,” she confides, “Working in the vineyards didn’t really satisfy me. I wanted to see the process through to the end to find out what my year-round work could produce.”

Of a total vineyard area of 16 hectares, only 2 hectares can currently be vinified in the small garage converted into a wine cellar. But starting with the next harvest, Hélène should be able to process a larger volume in her private cellar. “Finally,” she exclaims, “we’ve been working on this project since 2012. The wine cellar should be built within the year. ” On the agenda for the 2017 harvest: a new winery, more wine produced on the estate, and an expanded lineup. “I have a very diverse portfolio of vineyards; I’d like to expand the lineup with a white wine,” explains Hélène.

When a passion for horses meets a passion for wine

In addition to wine, Hélène is passionate about horses. She is committed to creating a connection between these two passions: “My first horse was named Rouky de Farchat. I named my winery and one of my two red wines after him,” she explains. “You quickly develop a connection with people who love horses,” she noted. While this second passion remains a hobby for now, she’s thinking about incorporating it more seriously into the estate: “I’d 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 stem in the ground that one day becomes a fine wine on the dinner table. That’s the story of wine: we start with nothing and end up with something exceptional in a bottle. It’s incredibly diverse and exciting.”

To learn more about Mas Farchat sur les Grappes, click here.