The crescent-shaped Languedoc-Roussillon, which skims the Mediterranean coastline of southern France, is home to a number of trailblazing producers whose wines we’ve imported for decades. Their wines are not unlike those of the Rhône Valley to the north, or Provence to the east; reds are soulful and firm, offering complexity and in many cases longevity, while the whites are generous and joyful, beaming with sun-kissed fruit. The growers in our collection happen to be making some of the most enjoyable, gastronomical, and value-driven wines coming from the south of France today. If we take it for granted that the region offers a dizzying array of high-quality selections, it’s thanks to a few visionaries who bravely defied the status quo. Each was able to prove what they already believed to be true: the Languedoc is rich in pedigreed terroirs.

DOMAINE D’AUPILHAC
It’s perhaps unsurprising that Sylvain Fadat, son of a botanist and a geologist, would find a career in both plants and rocks! His Cocalières vines, planted on an ancient volcanic crater lake where the soil is rich in fossils, are a testament to his keen sensibility and experience. People thought Sylvain was crazy to plant vines on a terrain that seemed inhospitable and complicated to cultivate, but he remained steadfast. Decades later, Sylvain’s Cocalières white and red are well known for their energy, complexity, and unmatched texture.

DOMAINE LA TOUR VIEILLE
Winemaker Vincent Cantié comes from a long line of anchovy canners and fishermen from Collioure who used to sell off the small amount of Banyuls they produced in barrel. When Vincent told his family about his desire to produce great Banyuls, the vin doux of the region, as well as fine dry wines, they assured him no one in their right minds would buy them. He ignored their advice, and lo and behold, people showed up! Today, more than thirty years later, the wines of La Tour Vieille offer some of the most expressive Banyuls and Collioure the Pays Catalan has ever known.

DOMAINE LEON BARRAL
Didier Barral could have sold wine to a cooperative like those who came before him, but he was convinced that the appellation of Faugères had something profound to say, and was determined to find out what that was. Thus began a renaissance at his property with polyculture and biodiversity front of mind, pillars he believed would lead to the truest terroir expressions. A roaming herd of fifty animals—cows, horses, and black pigs—graze and fertilize his vineyards all winter. And in planting thirty different species of trees on his property, he created a dynamic environment for wildlife and insects to thrive in and around his vines. Today, the wines speak loudly and clearly of a nuanced and beautiful Faugères.

MAXIME MAGNON
Maxime is a proud disciple of Didier Barral, whose unique practices and stunning results persuaded him to follow a similar path at his own domaine. Maxime grew up not far from the Beaujolais, and you might describe his wines as the Beaujolais of the Languedoc in spirit, though not in character. They are unmistakably Southern, made from field blends of very old whole-cluster Grenache and Carignan, and blossom with bold yet elegant aromas. They are full of life and among the most fun to drink from the region.

LES EMINADES
It took decades to stumble upon a Saint-Chinian producer who could match the quality of our first, Mas Champart. But a few years ago, we found Les Eminades, a domaine offering a fresh perspective on this appellation that we’ve adored for decades. The Bettonis make relatively sleek and weightless wines thanks to higher-elevation sites and limestone-rich soils. Their gentle touch in the cellar and commitment to biodynamic farming is also central to the results they achieve.

DOMAINE DE FONTSAINTE
The wines of the late Yves Laboucarié in Corbières were some of Kermit’s first imports from the Languedoc. Struck by how delicious they were, he learned what set them apart in quality from everything else he was tasting at the time. Mr. Laboucarié kept yields low in the vineyards (about a quarter of the typical ratios), and was among the first to introduce carbonic maceration and wood aging to the region, favoring long élevages on his reds. The winery itself happens to be built on the original site of a Roman settlement for wine dating to at least the last century BC, and Roman coins have been found in the vineyards with other artifacts still surfacing today. Yves’ son Bruno now makes the wines, carrying on a tradition of finer-quality wines than anyone thought possible for Corbières. Fontsainte is a cut above the rest, and a house favorite at KLWM.