List of products by brand ABBAYE SYLVA PLANA
Nestled in the heart of the Faugères AOC, in the rugged backcountry of the Hérault, Abbaye Sylva Plana farms 54 hectares of organic vines on the appellation's signature schist soils. Heir to over 800 years of monastic winegrowing, the Bouchard family crafts pure, deep and minerally Faugères wines, with some of the lowest yields in France. At Halles de Quercamps, we've selected this estate for the precision and consistency of its whites, rosés and reds — an authentic Languedoc signature, both sun-drenched and built to age. A must-try for anyone who loves characterful schist wines from a truly exceptional terroir.
Abbaye Sylva Plana: eight centuries of winemaking tradition in Faugères AOC
A 12th-century Cistercian foundation
The Abbaye Sylva Plana story begins in 1139, when this corner of the Hérault became a monastic grange attached to the Cistercian Abbey of Sylvanès. The estate's very name — silva plana, "the flat forest" in Latin — still echoes the garrigue and woodland that border the vineyard today. Long before the monks, the Romans had recognised the value of these slopes; after them, the Benedictines and then the Cistercians shaped the terroir for centuries, passing down an unbroken winegrowing heritage that is rare in this part of the Languedoc.
A modern revival led by the Bouchard family
In 1998, the Bouchard family — already owners of the neighbouring Domaine Deshenry's in the Côtes de Thongue — acquired this historic property and released the first vintages of the new Abbaye Sylva Plana estate the following year. With both passion and rigour, they have brought a sleeping heritage back to life, turning it into one of the most recognisable signatures of the Faugères appellation, while preserving the monastic spirit of humility before the land.
A schist terroir, the very DNA of Faugères AOC
The vineyard stretches over 54 hectares of south-facing hillsides, planted along the contour lines to follow the natural relief. The subsoil reveals the geological signature that defines Faugères: layered schist, clay-limestone and grey marble, rich in iron and aluminium. These siliceous rocks, formed from ancient marine deposits compacted over millions of years, give the wines a striking minerality, fine-grained tannins and that distinctive aromatic tension which sets the appellation apart from the rest of the Languedoc.
Exemplary organic and biodynamic viticulture
Certified organic since 2008, the estate also farms biodynamically across every parcel. This commitment sits within a pioneering appellation: Faugères is one of the few French AOCs where roughly a third of production is grown organically or biodynamically. Yields here are among the lowest in France — around 33 hl/ha in recent vintages — a guarantee of exceptional concentration and aromatic depth in every bottle. Here, the work is done with the vine, not against it.
A full range, from mineral whites to age-worthy spirits
At Halles de Quercamps, we stock the heart of the Abbaye Sylva Plana range:
- The whites, taut and finely chiselled, lifted by the freshness of the schist,
- The rosés, gastronomic and structured, a world away from generic poolside pinks,
- The reds, from an approachable, fruit-driven entry cuvée up to single-parcel wines built for the cellar, capable of ageing a decade or more,
Why we've selected Abbaye Sylva Plana ?
For our online cellar, Abbaye Sylva Plana ticks every box of a great Languedoc estate: a singular history, a distinctive terroir, an uncompromising environmental commitment and, above all, remarkable consistency from one vintage to the next. It is a domaine we recommend equally to drinkers discovering Faugères AOC for the first time and to enthusiasts already won over by schist wines. A reliable benchmark of the Languedoc, both sun-filled and tightly structured, that pairs naturally with generous Mediterranean cooking, grilled meats, game or a board of mature cheeses.
