The Negociant Eleveur Maison Hecht & Bannier, specializing in red wines from the South of France, came to light in 2002. Their goal is to have their wines become the reference for quality in the region with a unique range of appellation wines. They are convinced that from Roussillon to Provence, the most talented vineyard in France, has not yet received the international recognition that it deserves: their wines allow wine-lovers to discover the extraordinary quality and wealth of the region. To conserve the typical Mediterranean strength in the wines while preserving balance and crispness, is their mantra for all the appellations they produce. The cornerstone of the profession is their extensive knowledge of vineyards and cellars. Every year they visit hundreds of producers to select only the best wines. Often, their wines come from vineyards in the cooler foothills where it isn’t rare to see hundred-year-old vines. Once the long selection process has come to an end, they organize tastings to create the blends and decide on their elevage options.

Following visit of hundreds of domains, days and nights of arguing conversations and wonders about their blends, Gregory Hecht and François Bannier bottle at the end of 2003 four cuvées of Southern France appellations : Minervois, Saint Chinian, Faugères and Côtes du Roussillon. Hardly a hundred cases of each wine, the miserable profit of a rigorous and drastic selection of each varietal on every best location. “Lovely spoon negoce” pokes a grower whom they buy two precious hectoliters of Mouvèdre for the Faugères blend. Following years will enjoy the blossoming of new cuvées and wines spreading out alongside the Mediterranean arc. Core principles remain unchanged : blending the fruit of several growers within an appellation, long ageing, severe work on blends to offer under a single brand the quintessenciel expression of each AOP. Craft hand-made negoce, boutique wines. Tasters may sometimes be overwhelmed by the wines but these cuvées claim their style and signature. “ Fascinating, ambitious, accomplished new negociant” wrote Jancis Robinson in 2005 with other famous wine writers who early enable a tremendous success of the company in USA, Canada and Japan.