Chateau Massamier la Mignarde    

The Chateau

Yes, the name is too long. Please let’s just call it Massamier – long enough without la Mignarde.

This is a remarkable property even discounting the wines. It is a compound or even a hamlet rather than a single Chateau. It was built over a Roman villa and there are records of continuous habitation since those times. In the Medieval era it was sometimes home to a hundred people. The property has been in the Venes family now for 150 years.

In France more than in most places a property being ‘in the family’ can mean many different things. Frantz Venes was born and lived here until the age of 10. A family inheritance squabble (they happen all the time in France) forced him and his parents out of their home for 20 years! This merely follows a very ancient tradition. The oldest book concerning Minervois, the ‘Pagus Menerbensis’ documents a legal boundary dispute over the extent of Massamier. The book was written in 836. Records of litigation between 836 and 1976 are sadly lacking, but we may safely assume that there was plenty.

Frantz and his parents came back 10 years ago. The feuding family members had taken reasonably good care of the vineyards but had let the cellar deteriorate, selling some of the grapes and taking the rest to the local Coop.

The Vineyards

As befits such a massive property, the vineyards are extensive, with 150 acres: 50 of Carignan, 30 each of Syrah and Grenache and 20 each of Cabernet and Cinsault. There are about 50 acres of Vin de Pays, 90 of Minervois and a scant 10 entitled to the new Appellation Minervois la Liviniere. Vine age is impressive, averaging over 35 years. Carignan and Cinsault are the oldest, followed by Grenache, Cabernet (at 25 years one of the oldest Cabernet vineyards in Languedoc) and Syrah. Planting density is 1600 vines per acre, very high for Languedoc.

The relatively young Syrah is all planted in Minervois and la Liviniere. Most of the Carignan is Vin de Pays, but one of the top Carignan parcels is actually within the la Liviniere Appellation. This is 5 acres of vines planted in 1947, giving yields of 2 tons per acre. An additional 3 acres of Carignan in Minervois, planted in 1950 gives 3 tons per acre. These are responsible for one of the property’s top wines.

The Cellar

This is as big as it should be for a property of this size (100 years ago the vineyards covered closer to 300 acres than today’s 150). The massive old foudres, holding as much as 8800 gallons, are the largest in Languedoc. They are no longer in use, as they deteriorated in the 20 years the Venes’ were absent. All of the equipment and cooperage has been replaced in the last 10 years and is thoroughly modern, providing the tools Frantz needs to make good, fine and great wine (as long as you have good, fine and great grapes!).

The Wines

There are a large number of bottlings, of which about half are imported. These include the two entry-level Vin de Pays, the entry-level Minervois, the top Vin de Pays and the two top Minervois.

‘Cuvee des Oliviers’ is the Vin de Pays name. The red is a blend of 35/35 Cabernet and Cinsault with Carignan, Syrah and Grenache and is an incredible value, very rich and winy for the price. The Rose is light, very lively but also nicely winy. The current release is 80% Cinsault, the great traditional rose varietal of Mediterranean France.

Minervois Tradition is indeed traditional, 60% old vine Carignan with Grenache and Syrah. Yields are a traditional 3 tons/acre, unlike the four to six cropped by most modern Minervois, explaining the exceptional richness.

The 2nd and 3rd top reds are brilliant and unique. ‘Expression de Massamier’ Carignan comes from two parcels of 50 year old Carignan vines cropped at an average of barely 2 tons per acre. The wine is made by carbonic maceration, but for 3 weeks instead of the week or 10 days typical for this technique. The wine is bottled very young to protect the great intensity of fruit flavors. It is unsullied by oak.

Domus Maximus has become an instant classic. It is composed of 80% Syrah (only 15 years old but yielding less than 2 tons per acre) and 20% Grenache (a very old parcel at 60+ years). Again there is long fermentation by carbonic maceration as in the ‘Expression’ Carignan. After fermentation, the wine is aged 15 months in 1/2 new, 1/2 one year old French oak. This is southern Syrah at its finest.

Tenement De Garouilhas — Or — How To Create An Original & Great New Wine

One morning in the spring of 2001, Frantz Venes woke up with a new idea, distilled in his subconscious from four years of wine studies at the University of Montpellier and over a dozen years of winemaking experience. What if he was to take the Syrah, Grenache and Carignan grapes from the best, oldest vines, start fermentation by carbonic maceration, then transfer the fermenting juice to new French oak barrels to finish alcoholic fermentation, press at about 3 weeks and return the wine to the new barrels for malolactic fermentation and ageing on the lees for 18 months?

I’m glad Frantz is thinking, because I’ve tasted the results.

The new super-luxury wine introduced with the 2001 vintage carries the droll name of ‘Tenement de Garouilhas’ (‘tenement’ in old French simply means a place – in this case it is a vineyard designation). It is composed of 60% Syrah, 20% each Carignan and Grenache. The Syrah is from the Chateau’s oldest parcel (not that old at 20 years) and yields less than 1 1/2 tons per acre. It is planted on an ancient alluvial terrace. The Carignan is close to 100 years of age and yields only 1 ton per acre, planted on similarly poor soil. The Grenache is the oldest parcel of this varietal on the property, almost 70 years of age and is planted on a steep slope of mixed lime and sandstone.

Frantz’s notes (my translation): “Very dense and dark color. The aroma develops a beautiful power, mixing aromas of very ripe red fruits, garrigue, coconut and fig. The palate is very rich with magnificent material that develops red fruit notes with a very long finish.”

A completely objective, but not disinterested note comes from Pierre Rovani of the Wine Advocate: “…the superb 2001 Minervois – La Liviniere Tenement de Garouilhas proudly boasts a nose of vanilla-laced black fruits. Medium-bodied, suave, and dense, it is a fresh, admirably well-balanced powerhouse that is packed with jammy dark berries. Pure, extremely well-structured, and vaunting an exceptionally long finish, this wine sets a new benchmark for its appellation.”

It is rare to find a wine that is both great and wholly original. The terroir of Languedoc combined with the passion and talent of a man like Frantz Venes is giving the world new sources of spectacular wines.