Mas Bruguière

The History of Mas Bruguière

The history of Mas Bruguière is a family story for 7 generations. This estate, nestled between the two limestone colossi that are the Pic Saint Loup and the Hortus, finds its roots in the 13th century with Pierre Bruguière, owner of Mas de Combes.

The history of Mas Bruguière as such begins later, just after the Revolution, during which the mas survived despite the troubles in the region and especially in Montpellier. Antoine, a native of Barou, bought the land and cultivated vines for the first time. Following the phylloxera epidemic, the vines were replanted in the 1880s and on this occasion, the estate turned to a monoculture of vines.

In the 1950s, Albert became involved in trade unionism and participated in the creation of the Syndicat du Pic Saint Loup. In 1956, frosts destroyed all the vines on the estate, which were replanted around the table grape farmhouse.

In the 1970s/1980s, Guilhem uprooted and replanted the vines to enter into a more qualitative approach, leaving the cooperative and producing his own cuvée as an independent winemaker in 1986. From that moment on, the terroir metamorphosed and began to acquire a national reputation.

Xavier, Guilhem's son, continues to modernize the estate, while preserving the heritage of the terroir to best express its typicity. In particular, he has made the estate switch to Organic Agriculture.

The terroir

Mas Bruguière covers 10 hectares of vineyards. This human-sized vineyard is made up of two islands: the Rocher de la Bergère and the Plaine.

The Rocher de la Bergère faces south, under the cliff of the Hortus. This terroir is made up of deep scree, which makes it the earliest of the Pic Saint Loup. The grape varieties are old Grenache, Mourvèdre and some young Mourvèdre vines.

The Plain extends around the Mas Familial. Facing north, this terroir is made up of clay and marl soils and hosts plots of Syrah planted in the early 1980s. It is composed of parcels winding between the Pic Saint Loup and the Hortus cliff.

The wines

La Grenadière is a vintage with a garnet red color and purple hues. Its nose is intense and complex, both on black and ripe fruits and garrigue. On the palate, the wine is dense and deep, with surprisingly fresh fruits. It can be kept for up to 15 years.

The Arbouse offers a rather light garnet color. The nose of this wine is very aromatic, on crisp fresh fruits and some ripe fruit notes. On the palate, the wine is rather mineral and has rather melted tannins, mixed with red fruits. It can be kept for up to 7 years.

The Seventh is a rather surprising vintage. Between the ruby red color and the very fruity nose, this wine opens the appetite. On the palate, there is an explosion of red and ripe fruits as well as a very prevalent freshness, and notes of garrigue. A long ageing can be expected on this wine.