Mourvèdre / Monastrell, Syrah
Natural, Organic, Vegan-Friendly
Dry
Full Bodied
750ml
13.5% alc./vol

Domaine Frédéric Brouca Clos Sauveplane Faugères 2020

Languedoc-Roussillon, France

93 points - Wine Align

$56.95per bottle ($341.70per case)
6 bottles per case

Rich & Spicy

Unlike many winemakers, Frederic Brouca is largely self-taught and took no formal courses on viticulture or winemaking. His concept of growing grapes and winemaking focuses on reducing human intervention in the processes, and making it as natural as possible.

This cuvée is from an isolated walled vineyard in the 'Sauveplane' lieu-dit, a plateau at the eastern limit of the Faugères appellation. It's made from twenty year old Mourvèdre vines and forty year old Syrah vines with both grapes co-fermented and aged for thirteen months in oak. A very natural beauty, the nose is loaded with black pepper, blue fruits and wild gamey notes. If you're a fan of dark yet elegant natural reds with finesse and charm, this wine over delivers.

We recommend pairing it with bold meals: think French bistrot-inspired dishes, such as lentils, black pepper linguini with sausage and dandelion, or even a classic chicken satay!

Press Reviews

Wine Align

93 points - John Szabo

Clos Sauveplan is a blend of about 3/4 high density planted mourvèdre and the balance in half-century-old syrah from the lieu-dit of the same name, a plateau in the Faugères AOC in southern France. It's showing beautifully at the moment, rich, redolent of fresh black forest fruits, blackberry coulis, wild violets and cracked black peppercorn, really quite a tour de force. The palate is broad but fresh, impeccably balanced and so lively considering the warm vintage, declared at 12.5% alcohol but coming across as riper and denser than the numbers would imply. Tannins are silky and resolving nicely, and length, depth, and ultimately complexity, are excellent. One of Brouca's best to date I'd say; drink or hold a half dozen years - the stuffing augurs well for development. Tasted January 2024.

92 points - Michael Godel

The source for this co-ferment of mourvèdre and syrah is a “clos,” meaning an isolated walled vineyard in a lieu-dit called “Sauveplane”, plateau at the eastern limit of the Faugères appellation. A mix of 20 and 40 year-old vines, volcanic soils, some whole cluster fermentation. Exotically spiced, sweetly volatile. Low-level Brettanomyces, so bloody Faugères, exemplary and expected for a wine to speak up on behalf of this particular sense of place. The kind of Languedoc red that sommeliers and naturalists will share and swig with reckless abandon while those who have never tried this style and origin may be left to wonder in confounded disarray. Just know that this is very correct for producer, style and place. Drink 2024-2027. Tasted January 2023.

91 points - Sara d'Amato

From old vines farmed with minimal intervention on the plateau of "Sauveplane", a lieu-dit on the eastern edge of Faugères. Spontaneously co-fermented syrah and mourvèdre grapes are left unfined and unfiltered in the low-interventionist style of Fredric Brouca. Subsequently aged 13 months in oak resulting in very gentle spice and pleasantly mellow tannins. Offers a notable sense of place and varietal character. Relatively speaking, the wine is quite clean and still exhibits plenty of fresh fruit and very good length. Tasted January 2024.