Fast five: Jean-Claude Mas

Jean-Claude Mas is a winemaker and entrepreneur who in 2000 founded Domaines Paul Mas in the Languedoc, France. Born into a grape-growing family in Pézenas, Jean-Claude completed an MBA and initially worked in the automotive industry before returning home to pursue a career in wine. Today, Jean-Claude is known for producing good quality yet affordable wines across his multiple brands, which include Paul Mas, Arrogant Frog and Astélia, among others.

Below, he shares five career-defining wines.

Jean-Claude Mas.

1985 Finca Flichmann Cabernet Sauvignon
Mendoza, Argentina
I was lucky to do my military service (compulsory at that time) as an attaché in Miami in 1988. I was in charge of promoting French products and this was a great opportunity to expand my understanding of international gastronomic and wine culture. In Miami, I was able to discover wines from North and South America. The Finca Flichman Cabernet Sauvignon especially made me realise that good wines could be made outside of France.
 
1987 Giorgio Grai Sauvignon Blanc
Alto Adige, Italy
In 1992 I met with Italian wine legend Giorgio Grai who became my wine mentor. Giorgio was consulting for quite a few famous wineries including Batasiolo, Gancia, and La Vis, and I was lucky enough to join his visits to these wineries. It was during this time I discovered the ‘artistic’ side of wine. Beside the exceptional vineyards and the expertise of winemaking, I experienced the art of blending when I tasted his 1987 Sauvignon Blanc. This wine also helped me realise that, like red wine, white wine can be complex and incredible.
 
1998 Vignes De Nicole Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah
Languedoc, France
My family vineyard in 1998 consisted of mainly traditional high-yielding aramon, carignan and cinsault – not that appropriate for making fine wines – but also 1.5ha of cabernet and 1ha of syrah. One day, once the fermentations had finished, I decided to blend them so I would have enough to properly age the wine, partly in barrel and partly in cement vats. The Vignes de Nicole Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah wine was born – a tribute to a Bordeaux Hermitagé, which at that time I hadn’t heard of. Two years later, the Domaines Paul Mas adventure started.
 
2005 Arrogant Frog Cabernet Merlot
Pays d’Oc, France
In 2005 we had the landmark launch of my Arrogant Frog range. This tongue-in-cheek, “old world wine with new world attitude” approach sent Domaines Paul Mas to new heights within the world of wine. The idea came to me partly from a frustrating Grand Cru tasting, where I was told: “Taste this wine... if you know grand crus you will see this is a great wine...” – although I did not like it at all. I was also motivated by an opinion poll that had come out of the USA in 2003, that found the French were considered to be 'arrogant' (remember the Bush/Chirac conflict over the Iraq war?). I thought, so be it, us French frogs, we are arrogant. 
 
1995 Penfolds Grange
South Australia
Today, I view this as my favourite wine, considering its consistency, style and ability to age. It made me realise that there are wines to dream about. So far I have built my success on making wines which overdeliver for the price, but my wish is to craft wines whose reputation, history, vineyards, winemaking and accolades make them ‘wines to dream about’. This is what I am aiming for with my new Astélia range.
 
Instagram: @paulmaswines

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