Fabien Jouves came of age winemaking-wise after tasting the wines of Eric Pfifferling and Frédéric Palacios. What he found in those bottles set him on a path he has never deviated from: biodynamic farming, total non-intervention in the cellar, and an uncompromising focus on the native character of Cahors' hillside terroirs.
Backstory
Fabien comes from an old farming family of the Causse, the limestone plateau country above the Lot Valley. He trained in oenology with time spent in the Bordelais, but it was the natural wine world that captured his imagination. In 2009 he took over his family's estate, which had previously sold grapes to a negociant, and set about building Mas del Périé into a recognised domaine. His first commercial vintage established a direction that has only deepened since: biodynamic agriculture, parcellary selections, minimal intervention, and an honest expression of Malbec on Cahors' highest slopes.
The Region
The Mas del Périé vineyards sit at 350 metres elevation on the highest hillsides above Cahors, in the Quercy country of southwest France. Malbec, known locally as Côt, has been the dominant red variety of Cahors for centuries, producing wines of dark colour, firm tannin, and deep fruit character when grown on limestone. The altitude moderates summer heat and brings marked diurnal temperature variation, contributing freshness and acidity.
Vineyards and Farming
The 20 hectares of vines are spread across the junction of the Quercy and Cahors terroirs, on marl and limestone soils. The La Roque parcel sits on Kimmeridge soils, among the most mineral-rich in the appellation. The estate has held Demeter biodynamic certification since 2011 and is also certified by Ecocert for organic farming. All harvesting is done by hand in small baskets, with careful grape selection in the field. Summer canopy work is meticulous to ensure even ripening.
Winemaking
In the cellar, the approach is entirely non-interventionist: no oenological additives, indigenous yeast fermentations, and aging in a combination of concrete vats, 600-litre demi-muids, and amphoras according to each wine's personality. For La Roque, no sulfur is used during vinification and no more than 20 mg per litre is added at bottling. The wines are neither filtered nor fined.
The Wines
The range divides into terroir expressions and thirst-quenching everyday wines. Les Escures and La Roque are the flagship single-parcel Malbecs, each reflecting distinct soil and elevation. Les Acacias and Les Agudes explore Chenin Blanc and Petit and Gros Manseng. Haute Côt(e) de Fruit offers bright, lifted Malbec for early drinking, while the Amphore cuvée is aged entirely in clay. A Skin Contact and late-harvest Cochon de Dieu round out a diverse and constantly curious portfolio.
