Domaine Léon Barral – Biodynamic Vision Rooted in Faugères Schist

Situated above Faugères in the Languedoc, Domaine Léon Barral covers roughly 30 hectares of old-vine Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Cinsault and Terret varieties planted on steep schist slopes facing south. Under Didier Barral—at the helm since the early 1990s—the estate embraces a radical biodynamic and polycultural philosophy grounded in soil health and ecosystem autonomy.

No chemicals are used. Vines grow in gobelet fashion, covered with natural undergrowth, and the soil is managed with cross-harrowing to retain moisture. Livestock—including cows, pigs, and horses—graze throughout the winter, helping compost the vineyard naturally and encouraging biodiversity.

Winemaking is low-intervention: long whole-cluster macerations of three to four weeks, spontaneous fermentations, minimal sulfur, no filtration. Reds are aged two years in concrete vats or old foudre; Jadis is bottled after aging in used barrels. Whites, consisting mainly of Terret with Roussanne and Viognier, are macerated like reds and aged 10–12 months in barrel, resulting in a textural, aromatic and unexpectedly structured wine.

The wines are marked by fresh acidity, delicate tannins, and pronounced schist-driven minerality. Reds deliver dark fruit, spice, and a firm, lively backbone. The macerated Terret white offers an amber hue, a tactile tannic structure, and a bracing salinity evocative of ancient soils.

Signature Wines

• Faugères Tradition – Classic blend fermented and aged in concrete. Balanced, spicy, mineral, with firm yet supple tannins.

• Faugères Jadis – Barrel-aged reserve wine with enhanced aromatic complexity, depth and aging potential.

• Faugères Valinière – Mourvèdre-led cuvée, assertive yet refined, showing verticality and phenolic definition.

• Terret White Vin de France – Natural white wine; textured, aromatic and saline, with a tannic undercurrent and unmatched individuality.