Isabelle and Matthieu Champart arrived in Saint-Chinian in 1976, newcomers to farming from the north of France who saw potential in an estate nobody was paying attention to. Mathieu worked the vines while Isabelle made the wine, and after a decade selling to the local cooperative, they began bottling under their own label in 1988. The acclaim that followed was almost immediate. Over the following decades they expanded from 8 to 25 hectares, built a dedicated winery, and established Mas Champart as one of the reference addresses in Saint-Chinian. Isabelle retired in 2021; Noémie Vidil took over winemaking in 2023 under new estate owner Pascaline Bour.
The Region
Saint-Chinian is one of Languedoc's most complex appellations, straddling two entirely different geological zones. Mas Champart sits in the southeastern half, where limestone and clay predominate — soils that produce wines of freshness, precision, and bright acidity rather than the heavier, more tannic expressions of the schist and gneiss-dominated northwestern sector. The estate's vineyards climb from 210 to 300 metres across roughly 20 individual parcels, surrounded by garrigue, forest, and the stone terraces typical of this rugged landscape.
Vineyards & Farming
Sixteen of the estate's 25 hectares are under vine, with four hectares continuing to supply the Saint-Chinian cooperative. Organic farming has been the standard since 2019, with certification followed by a genuine commitment to preserving old vine material. The estate's oldest Carignan and Grenache parcels — some vines reaching 65 to 90 years of age — are tended by hand, as the steep terrain makes mechanical harvesting impossible on many slopes. Soils are principally limestone-clay with marl and sandstone in places, a mosaic that keeps the wines structurally complex.
Winemaking
Grapes are harvested by hand with selective sorting. Fermentation is natural, with cuvaisons running two to six weeks depending on the cuvée. The approach is minimal: gentle extraction, aging in cement tanks and demi-muids for 12 to 18 months, and little to no filtration before bottling. Sulfite additions are kept low throughout. Noémie Vidil, who holds a chemistry degree and a master's in viticulture and winemaking, has brought fresh technical precision to an already well-established estate style.
The Wines
The range includes Côte d'Arbo (Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre, Cinsault), Causse du Bousquet (Syrah-dominant with Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan, and Cinsault), and Clos de la Simonette (Grenache and Mourvèdre from contrasting limestone and clay parcels). A white Saint-Chinian and a rosé complete the lineup. These are serious, ageworthy wines rated two stars at RVF and three stars at Bettane & Desseauve.
