WINERY Michel Laroche was one of the pioneers in the resurgence of quality winemaking in the south of France in the early 1980s. In 1996, he created Mas La Chevalière, a state-of-the-art winery on the grounds of a splendid 18th-century guesthouse, with the goal of producing wines that truly reflect the diversity of the Southern French varietals, climate and terroir.

WINE The Mas la Chevaliere Pinot Noir grapes come from the winery’s vineyard partners in two distinct regions of the Languedoc: the Cevennes foothills in the Northern Gard region, and Limoux, in the western Languedoc. Coming from cooler terroirs, this is a Pinot Noir with hints of ripe red cherry and finely grained tannins.

The vineyard size is 30 hectares (74.13 acres), vine age is 20 years and soils are varied, with clay and limestone predominant which provides a beautiful expression of Languedoc Pinot Noir.

2023 was marked by a drought, especially in Hérault, Audois coast, and Pyrénées Orientales. However, Mas partnership areas (Limoux, northern Hérault, and Gard) were spared. Harvest began on 16 August 2023, early morning with Chardonnays. Pre-harvest temperatures, cool nights, and moderate days, retained grape acidity. Despite mid August heat, our responsive team (night harvesting, plot selections) and cold-pressing maximized juice potential. Our cool, high-altitude terroirs shone, with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir offering diverse aromas. Overall, 2023 produced homogeneous wine qualities: fine balance in whites and good concentration in reds, respecting grape variety expression.

12 days of fermentation at 26-28°C with daily pumping over in stainless steel tanks. 100% malolactic fermentation. Aged for 8 months in stainless steel tanks. Bottling with minimum filtration to preserve natural character.

The 2023 Pinot Noir has a bright ruby color. The nose has a sensation of black fruit, and fleshy, ripe cherries with a hint of spice. Very well-balanced on the palate, delicious with very soft tannins.