Faugères AOC is made up of almost entirely rocky schist and demands hard work on the meagre soil where vineyards of red, white and rosé are planted at up to 2,300ft, overlooking Béziers and the vast plain, no longer a sea of vines, that stretches towards the coast. The main grape varieties are Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Cinsault. Its Languedoc wines are rounded with mature fruits and soft tannins.