Alain and Agnès Carrère founded Domaine de Majas in 1992 in Caudiès-de-Fenouillèdes, where they now farm 30 hectares rooted in schist, volcanic stone, and limestone, with a mix of old-vine Carignan and a wide array of other varieties. In a region dominated by co-ops and reshaped by misguided 1990s replanting trends toward Bordeaux grapes, Alain quickly realized that selling fruit to the cooperative was untenable and built a small independent estate—only to inherit over 20 additional hectares and struggle to sell the resulting wine. A supermarket deal briefly offered relief but forced him to produce generic, terroir-less wines at a financial loss, pushing the domaine toward bankruptcy. A chance meeting with Tom Lubbe of Domaine Matassa changed the estate’s trajectory: with Tom’s mentorship, Alain converted all vineyards to organic farming, abandoned commercial yeasts and additives, reduced sulfur, and began vinifying by terroir. Reinvigorated, the Carrères now produce fresh, elegant, characterful wines that offer exceptional value.
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