Domaine des Lampyres is the small estate of François-Xavier (FX) Dauré in Espira-de-l’Agly, at the eastern end of the Agly Valley in Roussillon, not far from the Mediterranean. This area was long linked to sweet fortified wines (Vin Doux Naturel). When demand fell, many growers removed vines or changed crops. The Dauré family decided to keep their parcels, and FX is the fourth generation working this land.

For years, the family’s grapes were sold to the local cooperative, so FX looked elsewhere to learn how to make wine. From 2008 he worked with different local growers, and in 2015 he joined Tom Lubbe at Matassa, an important reference for low-intervention winemaking in the region. That same year he took over the family vineyards—already farmed organically since the 1990s—and committed to organic work across the domaine.

The name “Lampyres” (fireflies) comes from a busy period when FX was juggling two full-time jobs. He often worked his own vines before sunrise using a headlamp, and neighbors joked he looked like a firefly. His first vintage (2016) was tiny and made in a garage, before he set up a small cellar and slowly bottled more of his own fruit.

In the cellar, FX keeps things straightforward: spontaneous fermentations, gentle handling, and blends that can change with the year and the parcels. Some wines carry personal touches, like the rosé named for his daughter Margot.