Heureux qui comme… AOC 2022

Wine description for Heureux qui comme… AOC 2022 by Flo Busch

When a son of the Mosel moves to the Languedoc, expectations are naturally high. Florian Busch – son of Clemens Busch and once an aspiring rocket engineer – has found his vinous home in the Terrasses du Larzac, where he brings together a remarkable concept: southern French power tempered by northern freshness. ‘I don’t like massively fat alcohol bombs. I want freshness in wine,’ he says – and the Heureux qui comme … 2022 proves this is no empty phrase. Even the name, taken from Du Bellay’s famous verse, speaks of the joy of arrival: Florian and his partner Paola Ponsich named the wine after the feeling they experience when looking out from the hilltop over vines, herb fields and forest.

Colour & appearance

Deep, slightly opaque purplish red – dense yet not heavy in the glass.

Nose

An aromatic opening: elderberry, mulberries, cherries and blackberries, alongside herbal tincture, hints of undergrowth and forest floor. Subtle notes of lightly smoked meat, garrigue and stone reveal its origins in the wild Hérault.

Palate

Juicy and sensual, with a cool acidity and tannin structure. Sweet cherries, a touch of liquorice, ripe blackberries and some sloe – the fruit alternates between warm and crisp. Ethereal notes of mint and garrigue, pronounced tannic grip and good drive. Drinking pleasure with substance, uncomplicated in the best sense.

Finish

Herbaceous and cool on the finish, with palpable tension – a red wine that invites the next sip rather than overwhelming the senses.

Terroir & origin

From a largely sheltered valley at around 90 metres in Jonquières, in the heart of the AOC Terrasses du Larzac. The soil is a geological mosaic: yellow and blue calcareous marl, sandstone, river pebbles – and a surprising abundance of fossils. Wild laurel woods surround the valley, creating their own microclimate.

Grape varieties & vinification

A cuvée of Carignan from roughly 40-year-old vines – harvested last due to its long ripening period – along with Syrah and Grenache. Hand-harvested, only partially destemmed, spontaneous fermentation, around two weeks’ maceration with punch-downs. Maturation for ten months in used barriques, then bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Food pairings

Ideal with leg of lamb with thyme, ratatouille, richly spiced lentil dishes or a southern goat’s cheese. Also a reliable companion at the table for duck breast.

Special features

The rare combination of Languedoc spice and Mosel coolness – and a Demeter-certified estate where Paola’s herb project ‘Fleurs de Garrigue’ seems to channel the aromatic wilderness of the surroundings straight into the bottle.