Mas Lasta

Mas Lasta means "the last" in Esperanto. This is a tribute to the last winegrowing footprint before the Larzac plateau in the commune of Saint-Privat, located at the foot of the springs gushing from the Aveyron Causse. This is where Anne Laure Sicard of Mas Lasta organically cultivates Grenache and Syrah, as well as high-altitude Carignan up in the Terrasses du Larzac appellation.

Sicard studied agronomic engineering and oenology in Montpellier. After the completion, her passion wine took her all around the world (Australia, Spain, Uruguay, Canada, New Zealand and a few French wine regions) producing wine as a flying winemaker. She then finally settled in Saint-Privat on the high-lying land of the Terrasses du Larzac in 2015. She created Mas Lasta in 2016 to vinify these plots from where the grapes used to go to the local cooperative.

Sicard started with 8 hectares of old forgotten vines, planted in sandstone soil and backing on to the Causse Larzac. Her determination was to bring this high altitude terroir back to life. "As I’m a fighter by nature (I’m a fan of the French women’s rugby team known as "les affamées" meaning the "hungry women"), I embarked on natural winegrowing by converting the vineyard to organic agriculture," says Sicard.

There is a plan to rejuvenate and extend the vineyards between now and 2025. "The terroir is tough, but I’m tougher and I’m always busy doing something! After planting another 4 hectares, I’m planning to diversify the vineyard by adding high altitude fruit trees and to create a partnership with a sheep farmer."