Mas des Étoiles
mas des étoiles
Arnaud Bladinières and David Liorit founded Mas des Étoiles in 2007 near the Causses du Quercy — one of the darkest-sky regions in France, and the source of the name.
Winemaker, Arnaud Bladinières
Arnaud and David met as students at the viticultural school of Montagne Saint-Émilion. They spent several years apart after graduating — Arnaud working through Bordeaux châteaux, then Burgundy, then a stint at Bleasdale in Langhorne Creek, Australia; David building his cellar credentials in Saint-Émilion, including time as cellar master at Château Beauséjour and later leading Château Petit Val. By 2007, they were ready to build something together.
They chose Cahors. The estate sits near the "black triangle" of the Causses du Quercy, a zone with almost no light pollution and some of the clearest night skies in France. The name Mas des Étoiles comes directly from that landscape — an acknowledgment of where they landed and how they intend to work.
Arnaud runs the property day to day, from vine to sale. David contributes the blending and balance expertise he developed across years in Saint-Émilion grand cru appellations.
FARMING AND WINEMAKING
The estate covers 15 hectares. In 2019 they began converting to organic farming. Each wine is vinified and aged separately — temperature, maceration length, and vessel all decided wine by wine rather than by formula. The Petite Étoile spends 18 months in stainless steel on its lees.
VINEYARD
Second Terrace — AOP Cahors
The Petite Étoile comes from vineyards on the second terrace of the Lot River valley, at around 300 feet elevation. Soils are old alluvial deposits — gravel and silica over clay — with natural drainage and consistent ripening conditions. The Malbec vines are 25-plus years old.
