Description
Wine Details – Mas de l’escarida Mon Soleu
Alcohol Grade: 12.5%
Aging/ Vinification:The Merlot grapes are hand-harvested from high-altitude plots. The vinification involves a short maceration (as short as 4 days in some vintages) on the skins, with some sources suggesting a partial carbonic maceration to retain vibrant fruit character. The wine ferments spontaneously using native yeasts and is then aged in stainless steel tanks to preserve its youthful fruit and freshness. It is a zero-zero natural wine, bottled unfiltered and unfined, with no added sulfites.
Best to have it: 12-15ºC
Size: 750 ml
The Producer: Laurent Fell (Mas de l’escarida)
Laurent Fell of Mas de l’Escarida is the master of high-altitude freshness, carving out a unique space in the wild, mountainous Ardèche region of France alongside his partner Anne. This project, which began around 2012, is dedicated to pure zero-zero natural winemaking on a tiny 4-hectare vineyard situated at nearly 500 meters above sea level in the Cevennes forest. This dramatic isolation and high elevation are key to the quality, providing cool nights that inject a vibrant freshness into the grapes—a necessity in the warm Rhône climate. His terroir is composed of ancient, mineral-rich Triassic sandstone with quartz and flint, which lends structure and great minerality to the wines. Laurent works the land organically and practices meticulous biodynamic principles, ensuring the health and biodiversity of his surroundings.
Fell is a key figure in the next generation of vignerons, revered for making impeccably clean natural wines without a single addition, fining, or filtering. His winemaking philosophy prioritizes honesty and immediacy; he uses a gravity-fed cellar to protect the fruit’s integrity and often employs short élevages to maximize youthful fruit character. Laurent is a tireless innovator, working with traditional Rhône grapes as well as the rare, local Chatus, often naming his cuvées as a tribute to the local Occitan dialect. His ability to translate the raw energy of his high-altitude vineyards into wines that are juicy, vibrant, and surprisingly cellar-worthy is what makes Mas de l’Escarida a must-try for any natural wine enthusiast.
