Edouard Adam never set out to make wine. Born in Tunisia, he was studying commerce in Montpellier when he grew unhappy with it and left to help with the harvest at the Languedoc property owned by his girlfriend's family. Through his father-in-law he discovered a passion for winemaking, switched to oenology, and was eventually gifted the small vineyard along with its olive trees.
Backstory
Adam launched Domaine Mada in 2016, one of the youngest natural winemakers working in France. The name is a play on his surname, Adam read as a palindrome. He has been based since 2017 at Mas Cambounet, near Gignac.
The Region
The estate lies in the Hérault, in the Languedoc of southern France, a sun-drenched landscape where old Mediterranean varieties thrive.
Vineyards and Farming
Adam cares deeply for the ecosystem of his vines, letting wild flora and fauna grow freely among the rows and using no chemicals in the vineyard. Most of the work is done by hand, which he sees as the best way to keep his carbon footprint low. He grows Cinsault, Grenache, Carignan, Syrah, and Clairette Blanche.
Winemaking
Vinification is minimal-intervention. Fermentations are spontaneous with wild yeasts, grapes are often kept on their stems to capture the full picture of the vintage, sulfites are kept low, and the wines are neither fined nor filtered.
The Wines
Mada bottles wear playful labels and names like Furie, Substance, and Thank You Satan. Inside are low-intervention reds, whites, and rosés with surprising aromatic density and energy.
