Paul Mas adds Domaine Les Verrieres to portfolio

Southern French wine estate Paul Mas has added Montagnac-based Domaine les Verrieres to its portfolio with a view to bolstering its premium “Astelia” bottle range.

Housed within the languedoc AOP, Domaine les Verrieres is spread across over 22 hectares and is planted mainly with Syrah, with some Grenache Noir and Carignan vineyards.

Paul Mas, which now has 15 estates within its portfolio, will use the plantings to produce two blended wines, Les 7 Fontaines and Clos de Soutyères which are now available in the UK.

These will be followed by Les Pierres Plantées, a predominantly Syrah which will be offered in the ‘Astelia’ bottle design reserved for Paul Mas’ premium cuvées.

Les Verrieres is made up of small plots with clay and limestone soils that experience cool nights, daytime heat and strong winds, providing a “ideal climactic conditions”.

“The Syrah and Grenache vineyards are between 20 and 30 years old; certain plots of Carignan are over 40 years old and there is even a 60 year old parcel of Cinsault,” said owner Jean-Claude Mas.”

“The yields here are low, with traditional vinification where we alternate pumping over with punching down, and using long macerations.

“As ever, with estates which we take into our portfolio, the emphasis is with working with the existing attributes of the Domaine, and simply adding the Paul Mas approach to it.”

Paul Mas, which was first established in 2000, now counts 15 estates within its portfolio in the south of France.