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The
wines of Mas
de l’Ecriture, Coteaux du Langudeoc Pascal Fulla has a legal background. After 20 years as a
‘juriste’ (a legal expert) he set out as a vigneron in 1999. On
the evidence here, I think he made a wise choice. Mas de l’Ecriture is in the commune of Jonquières, in the
Terras du Larzac region. For those interested in these things, the
soil is a stony, sandy clay over Jurassic limestone – once again,
the chalk that seems to be such a common feature in great ‘terroirs’.
The domain is currently 17.4 hectares, with some 13 currently
planted with the classic red Languedoc varieties of Syrah, Grenache,
Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault. However, only half the vines are
currently in production: the rest have been recently planted, with
both rootstock and scion chosen to match the terroir.. Yields are abnormally low here, running around 20 hl/ha (although
one has always to bear in mind that this designation doesn’t take
into account the planting density). The emphasis is on careful
viticulture, assisted with climatic monitoring in the vineyard. Each
parcel is vinified separately and both the size and type of oak
barrels used is chosen to suit the characteristics of the parcel and
vintage. It’s a very hands on approach. In the 1999 (inaugral) and 2000 vintages, three cuvees were
produced, but from 2001 onwards it will just be two, with no more ‘Déclinasions’
being made. These are very impressive wines, but come priced to match.
However good a wine is, it has to be pretty self-confident to justify
a £30 ticket in only its third vintage. No criticism of Pascal Fulla
is intended here – his job is just to make the best wine he can and
then the marketplace can assign it its value. And these are among the
best wines being made in the Languedoc today. The wines are available from La Vigneronne, with UK retail
prices in brackets. Mas de l’Ecriture ‘Déclinasions Occitanes’ 2000
Coteaux du Langudeoc Mas de l’Ecriture ‘Les Pensées’ 2001 Coteaux du
Langudeoc Mas de l’Ecriture ‘l’Ecriture’ 2001 Coteaux du
Langudeoc |