5 Reasons to Visit the Languedoc

The Weather. The Languedoc has a mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and rainy, wet winters. It annually receives 300 days of sunshine on average and in the months of July and August the temperature can reach 30 Celsius. The average annual temperature is 15 degrees. The area also can be quite windy, in the summer months The Tramontane comes from the north west and brings a cooling influence in the hot summer months. For many early autumn is a great time to visit the region with clear blue skies and warm temperatures.

The History. The Languedoc region is steeped in history, from the Roman amphitheatre and Tour Magne in Nimes, the Pont du Gard to the medieval city of Carcassonne you won’t feel short changed. There is much do see, do and admire. The region also has its own language, Occitan, however you are unlikely to hear in spoken in everyday use.

The Wine. Vines have been grown here for over two thousand years and the Languedoc is the largest wine growing region in the world with over 245,ooo hectares of vines spread over 36 appellations. In total the production of wine annually is in the region of 1.2 billion litres. In the past the Languedoc was seen as producing large volumes of ordinary wines for the mass market in France but this has changed in the last twenty years or so. New growers have been attracted here, driven partly by the cheaper land prices than in other wine growing regions and by the opportunities to experiment and be innovative. The first organic vineyards were in the Languedoc region. The result is that wines of the region offer great value for money and are well worth investigating.

The Landscape. Much of the region has a wild, natural beauty with small, beautiful villages and stunning views. There is also 200km of coastline with sandy beaches and the welcome cooling waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Away from the autoroutes driving is a pleasure as the roads are relatively quiet and are in good order. There are many stunning drives to be undertaken taking in hill villages and getting you right to the heart of the region and discovering its culture.

The Canal du Midi. Opened as long ago as 1681 and given its current name 100 years later it stretches 150 miles from Toulouse to the Mediterranean Sea. Originally built to carry freight, principally wheat and wine, it today is used for recreation and tourism and is one of the great wonders of France. Boats can be rented for holidays on the water or bikes can be hired to cycle alongside the canal. The banks of the canal are also very pleasant for walking with trees giving shade from the hot summer sun.

Saint Guilhem Le Désert

Saint Guilhem Le Désert is a small, picturesque village in the Hérault Valley in the Languedoc region of Southern France. It sits on the pilgrim route (The Way of Saint James) to Santiago de Compostela in Spain and is regarded as one of the prettiest villages in the country and it is easy to see why. Home to a population of only 250 people it can trace its origins back well over a thousand years, it is truly a medieval village. It has narrow, winding streets which offer some shade from the hot Languedoc sun and which are perfect for wandering. Many of the shops are now selling principally to visiting tourists but you do get a flavour of how it once was.

The village sits at the place where the Gallone river valley meets the Hérault River gorge.The approach from the Devils Bridge (Pont du Diable) is dramatic with the steep sides of the gorge and the fast flowing river.

The centre piece of the village is The Abbaye de Gellone which was founded in 804 although the building you see today dates from the middle of the eleventh century. The abbey fell into decline in the eighteenth century but has been restored back to its former glory.

The village can get very busy, especially in the summer months and there is little parking available. A better option is to park at the large car park for the Pont du Diable and beach which you approach on the D27 when travelling from Aniane. There is a visitors centre, café and toilets here as well as a free shuttle bus which will take you directly to the village. Buses run every 30 minutes and the journey takes just a few minutes.

The Pont du Diable is well worth having a look at. It was built by Benedictine monks to link together the abbey in nearby Aniane with the abbey in the village. It crosses the river as the Hérault gorge ends and begins to widen out. Downstream from the bridge, at the visitors centre, you can hire kayaks to explore the area.

Mas de Daumas Gassac

Mas de Daumas Gassac is an iconic estate in the Herault Valley and has been called the Languedoc’s first growth. Aimé Guibert bought the property from the Daumas family in the early 1970s. He was advised by a Geography professor at Bordeaux University that the area was ideal for the growing of grapes and the first vines were planted here in 1972. The first vintage was produced six years later under the guidance of renown oenologist Emile Peynaud.

The Languedoc gets very hot during the summer months but the estate has a unique micro climate. Vines are planted on north facing slopes so avoiding the extremes of day time temperatures, grapes are also cooled during the night by a cooling breeze which blows down the valley. As a consequence grapes ripen slower and harvesting is later that much of the Languedoc region.

The vines are all low yielding clones and for red the principal planting is Cabernet Sauvignon but Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Syrah, Tannat, Petit Verdot and Carmenere are also grown along with some very rare varieties. For the white wine Chardonnay, Viognier, Petit Manseng and Chenin Blanc make up 90% of the planting but the remaining 10% includes some fourteen other, rare varieties.

The cellar has been built on the site of an old Gallo-Roman mill. Two natural cold water springs run underneath the foundations to produce a cool environment without the need for expensive air conditioning.

Red wines are aged in oak barrels, one seventh of which are replaced on a rolling programme each year. This means that only a small percentage of the wine sees new oak in any given year.

The tasting room is open everyday from 10.00-1200 and 14.00-18.00 except Sundays and Public Holidays. Tastings are conducted in both French and English.

The property is not easy to find using satnav, ours initially took us to the centre of Aniane. If you are heading from Gignac towards Aniane on the D32 you are looking for a right turn onto the D32E2. From here you will pick up signs to the estate which is about a 2Km drive on a road which is quite narrow in places.

Mas de Daumas Gassac. Rosé Frizant. 2018. A blend with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon from young vines. Salmon pink and crystal clear. Fresh with red fruits and some residual sweetness. Gentle carbonation. A very nice aperitif.

Mas de Daumas Gassac. 2017. A blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon along with almost twenty other varieties.Black fruits, savoury, spicey, with a hint of chocolate and herbs. Has freshness but is well balanced. A great wine.

Mas de Daumas Gassac 2016. A blend with 73% Cabernet Sauvignon. Fruit driven with black, plummy fruit and a rich savoury spice. Elegant and complex. Excellent

Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc. 2018. Viognier 35%, Petit Manseng 22%, Chardonnay 16% and Chenin Blanc 10% with the remaining 10% mad up with fourteen other rare varieties. Peach to the front and then apricot and orange join in. The balance and texture are lovely. It is complex and has an incredibly long finish. Excellent.

Mas de Daumas Gassac. Vin de Laurence. 2011. Only made in exceptional vintages, this is only the fourth since 1997. Produced by a double fermentation, firstly with Serial grapes and then with late harvested Muscat Petit Grains. The blended wine is then aged for between 8 and 10 years in oak barrels. Sherry like with masses of sweet peach, apricot, honey and orange marmalade. The serial gives it a lovely freshness. Complex and very drinkable .Excellent.