Hervé Bizeul - Le Clos des Fées

History of the estate

In the heart of Côtes-du-Roussillon, lost in a desert of garrigues and surrounded by low walls as well as cool stones, you'd think you were peering at a postcard when you look at Clos des Fées. Planted with pickaxes, the vines zigzag between imposing holm oak forests. The stones have been extracted from the vines by hand and then patiently piled up by generations of dedicated winegrowers. These vines have always been described as old by the inhabitants of the surrounding villages.

It was here that Hervé Bizeul chose to become a winemaker in the 1990s. First a sommelier, then a restaurateur and writer on wine-related subjects, he eventually realized that he had to enter the very production of wine to finally know, if not understand, all the stages that lead a simple vine to birth to a nectar that can mark a spirit for life.

Most of the region's winegrowers have never worked under the dogma of a profligacy of technical means. Hervé Bizeul wanted to take up this challenge, and so began this long story one morning in 1997. He soon realized, from the color of his skin and the pain in every part of his body, that the vineyard was a far cry from the hushed atmosphere of luxury restaurants.

Terroirs

Several terroirs make up the estate. The Vingrau terroir is found on the steep scree of the limestone slopes, where clays are interspersed with particles of calcium carbonate (limestone). The highly basic soils produce dense, well-structured wines with infinite ageing potential.

We also have the terroir of Tautavel, where some high slopes have clay soils with a good proportion of rolled pebbles ("Chateauneuf" type). These acid soils give Mourvèdre exceptional concentration.

The Maury terroir is characterized by black soils that enable the vines to root deeply. A kingdom of Grenache Noir, the terroir is precocious par excellence and is the first to be harvested on the estate.

Further into the vineyards, on a clay-limestone bedrock, the blackish-red schist and mica-schist flows that give the Petite Sibérie stand out for their richness in iron (a very old iron mine operated until the 1940s is just a few meters away) give the Calce terroir its typicity.

There are also soils of migmatite gneiss, Precambrian gneiss and pure granite, which give very spicy Syrah wines of remarkable finesse, with a "pencil lead" taste that can be recognized blind. This is the terroir of Lesquedre

A limestone plateau where the wind blows more than 250 days a year, this is the Opoul terroir. The vines here are over 100 years old, bearing witness to their great quality and longevity.

Finally, there's the Espira de l'Agly terroir, with its black earth reminiscent of a Tahitian beach. The Syrah grape takes deep root here, finding nourishment and regular hydration. The wines produced here are precocious and benefit from a warm climate.

The wines

Images dérisoires is a wine from a micro-parcel planted in 2005, composed of Tempranillo and on-harvest contributions of Carignan to bring a little freshness. The resulting wine is dense and dark. The palate is compact, dense, velvety and rustic. This puzzling wine offers a tasty finish that leaves a fresh, endearing mouthfeel.

Un faune avec son fifre is composed mainly of Cabernet-Franc. It offers a nose of ripe red fruits with delicate baked red peppers. Its palate is tannic, silky and distinguished.

Les Sorcières is a 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache and 20% Carignan wine. It's a medium-bodied wine with deliberately controlled concentration for maximum drinkability. It reveals explosive fruit aromas, delicate tannins and a silky mouthfeel. It can improve for two to three years.

Modeste is a clear, transparent wine, reminiscent of a pinot noir to the untrained eye. It's actually made from Grenache and Syrah, offering a powerful, refined nose, dominated by complex fresh fruit evoking faded rose, redcurrant and nuances of humus. The palate is fluid and pure.

La Petite Sibérie comes from a single plot of old Grenache noir vines, with regular topping up adding a final blend of 5-7% Mourvèdre/Syrah. This wine is remarkably long, with tight tannins and a memorable velvety texture. Changing in the glass over several hours, it is mature after 10 years and can be kept for up to 30 years.