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Mas Cal Demoura

Isabelle and Vincent are committed to producing wines that respect the environment from which they come, and express both their terroir, and the personality of the winemaker.

In 1970, when there was a great exodus from the Languedoc due to a loss of faith in its vineyards to provide a sufficient living, Jean-Pierre Jullien named his domaine “Cal Demoura”, which in Occitan means “one must remain”. He came from a long line of vignerons and, at that time, he followed most of his colleagues as they closed their caves and attempted to survive by participating in the local cooperative. Jean-Pierre’s son, Olivier, refused to follow the path of the cooperative and established his own domaine, the “Mas Jullien”, in 1985. Jean-Pierre, in a reversal of the usual process, took the example of his son, resigned from the cooperative and recreated his own estate in 1993. He sold off a portion of his vineyards and retained only the best 5 hectares. With these, he began making a wine of regal dimensions that helped to lead the qualitative revolution in the Languedoc. In 2004, Jean-Pierre retired, selling the estate to its current owners, Isabelle and Vincent Goumard. Seduced by the estate’s winemaking philosophy, as well as by the potential of its terroir, this young couple, having studied oenology in Dijon, spent a year working side by side with Jean-Pierre in the vineyard and in the cellar, before taking full control of the estate. Having worked with Jean-Pierre Jullien for the entirety of his career as producer and now having worked with Isabelle and Vincent from the very outset of theirs, we can happily attest to the fact that this transition, from Jullien to Goumard, is one of the most felicitous in our experience.

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The estate now encompasses eleven hectares of vineyards located in the village of Jonquières and in the neighboring community of Saint Felix, approximately 45 minutes (30 kilometers) northwest of Montpellier, just south of Clermont l’Hérault. They are situated in the heart of the Terrasses du Larzac, an independent subdivision within the Coteaux du Languedoc AOC that was recognized in 2004 for its distinctive ability to render wines of exceptional balance and depth due to the special micro-climate in which it is located. The vineyards feature five red grape varieties in approximately equal parts: Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Carignan and Cinsault. A small group of parcels are planted to a half-dozen white varieties (Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier, Muscat and Petit Manseng) to produce a rather remarkable Vin de Pays de l’Herault Blanc. The average age of the vines is 40 years (as of 2020) with significant parcels of Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan being considerably older. The soil is very dry and stony with a deep but porous topsoil. The various parcels of the domaine are distributed over a terroir that is both geographically and climatically diverse. These variations, combined with an assortment of different cépages, result in wines of complexity and finesse. The Terrasses du Larzac also benefits from the cooling winds that come both from the Mediterranean (to the south) and from the mountains to the north of Monpeyroux. This results in a long growing season that preserves essential acidity and yields juice of high complexity.

Farming

Certified organic, practicing biodynamic since 2013, awaiting biodynamic certification from Biodyvin

Treatments

Only copper sulfate and biodynamic preparations

Ploughing

Annual ploughing to promote soil health

Soils

Limestone-rich stony soil and limestone clays

Vines

Average age 35 years, trained in Gobelet except for Grenache, which is trained in Cordon de Royat. Vines planted at 4,500-8,000 vines/ha

Yields

Controlled through severe pruning, debudding, and an occasional green harvest. Average yields 15-25 hl/ha

Harvest

Entirely manual, in mid-late September

Sourcing

Entirely estate fruit

Fermentation

All fermentations are spontaneous. Rosé ferments in stainless-steel tanks; reds ferment in concrete vats and stainless-steel tanks after partial destemming. Cuvaison lasts 20-35 days

Extraction

Puchdowns and pumpovers

Chaptalization

None

Pressing

Pneumatic pressing

Malolactic Fermentation

Blocked with sulfur for rosé, spontaneous following alcoholic fermentation for reds

Élevage

Reds spend 12 months in demi muids and foudres followed by 4-6 months in stainless-steel tanks prior to bottling. Rosé ages in stainless-steel tanks

lees

Wines remain on their fine lees until racking following malolactic fermentation

Fining and Filtration

Wines are unfined and unfiltered

sulfur

Applied at harvest, racking, and bottling; 45 mg/l total sulfur, 25 mg/l free sulfur

Farming

Certified organic, practicing biodynamic since 2013, awaiting biodynamic certification from Biodyvin

Treatments

Only copper sulfate and biodynamic preparations

Ploughing

Annual ploughing to promote soil health

Soils

Limestone-rich stony soil and limestone clays

Vines

Average age 35 years, trained in Gobelet except for Grenache, which is trained in Cordon de Royat. Vines planted at 4,500-8,000 vines/ha

Yields

Controlled through severe pruning, debudding, and an occasional green harvest. Average yields 15-25 hl/ha

Harvest

Entirely manual, in mid-late September

Sourcing

Entirely estate fruit

Fermentation

All fermentations are spontaneous. Rosé ferments in stainless-steel tanks; reds ferment in concrete vats and stainless-steel tanks after partial destemming. Cuvaison lasts 20-35 days

Extraction

Puchdowns and pumpovers

Chaptalization

None

Pressing

Pneumatic pressing

Malolactic Fermentation

Blocked with sulfur for rosé, spontaneous following alcoholic fermentation for reds

Élevage

Reds spend 12 months in demi muids and foudres followed by 4-6 months in stainless-steel tanks prior to bottling. Rosé ages in stainless-steel tanks

Lees

Wines remain on their fine lees until racking following
malolactic fermentation

Fining & Filtration

Wines are unfined and unfiltered

Sulfur

Applied at harvest, racking, and bottling; 45 mg/l total sulfur, 25 mg/l free sulfur

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