Maison Darcelier

Cellier du Pic began in 1939 with the opening of the village cooperative cellar in Assas, at the foot of the Pic Saint-Loup about 20 km north of Montpellier. It has since grown to take in growers from Saint-Gély-du-Fesc, Claret and Baillargues, who together farm around 650 to 700 hectares. Their aim is to show off the character of each grape, from local staples to outliers like Pinot Noir. The cooperative has been HVE certified since 2017, opened a modern bottling site at Assas in 2020, and makes Maison d'Arcelier as its signature range.

With fruit coming in from scores of growers across very different sites, Cellier du Pic keeps each variety's identity front and centre rather than chasing one house style. For the Maison d'Arcelier wines, the emphasis is on freshness from the moment of picking. Harvesting and the early stages of winemaking take place at night, when temperatures are lowest, and fermentation is kept cool to protect the fruit and aromatics. Short macerations keep tannins gentle and let the fruit lead. Temperature-controlled concrete tanks are used for both fermentation and ageing, and oak plays no part, so the wines stay focused on variety and site. Everything is bottled on site at the cooperative's own Assas facility.