This vineyard has been managed by the Lalaurie family for nine generations.
In order to produce wine of the highest quality, in 1974, Jean-Charles Lalaurie began to plant the vineyard with such popular varietals as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
The Lalaurie estate is to be found some twelve kilometers to the north of Narbonne, in the district of Ouveillan, in the region of Languedoc.
The vineyard spans an area of fifty two hectares and includes an abundance of soil varieties.
This diversity helps to produce wines with their own distinctions of aroma and taste.
The excellent soil varies between slope and plateau, from red earth with coarse particles such as round pebbles and little pieces of gravel to off-white chalky soil in richer parts.
There is also some poorer soil which produces smaller yields - from 35 to 37 hectolitres per hectare (hl/ha) - according to vine type.
This poor soil helps to make excellent wines with an intense hue and a suitable tannic concentration of flavour which are matured in new oak casks.
Several methods are used to make the wine, depending on the grape used and the style of wine required.
- For Roses, the grapes are slightly crushed - or, as we say, "bled" - and filtered at a cold temperature which is kept constant throughout vinification.
- Two methods are used for red wines : the time-honoured method of slow vinification and maturation and a newer one in which whole bunches of grapes are placed into the fermenting vat intact.
Our wines are matured in new oak barrels.
Their love of wine has led Jean-Charles and Catherine Lalaurie to set up a cellar for tasting (and of course maturation of their fine wines) which is located in the heart of their property.
They would be delighted to welcome anybody who loves fine wine to come to their "cave" and taste their wines.
