Jean-Claude Mas

‘There isn’t a wine that leaves Paul Mas that I haven’t approved’
Jean-Claude Mas

I CAUGHT HIM on a day when top gear was just out of reach. A cold had dulled some of his energy, but even so Jean-Claude Mas was still wired into everything going on: the interview, buyers from a sizeable French supermarket chain, his Côté Mas restaurant, calls from other clients. Little escapes his attention and, as with most determined entrepreneurs, there’s the feeling that every moment counts. It’s this focused, if autocratic temperament that has driven the success of Domaines Paul Mas, the company he launched in 2000. The Languedoc-based négociantproducer now accounts for 22 million bottles annually, 90% exported to 65 countries. The wines include those from the 15 properties he has acquired over the years (a total of just over 800ha), as well as those of the emblematic Arrogant Frog brand. ‘I’m motivated by success and hate