Les Vignes Oubliées
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History
The Team
Estate Vineyards / AVA
J-B Granier : As you can see, it’s a beautiful spot. The beauty of a place and the fact that you feel good about it, are both indicators of the quality of the « terroir » and the vines growing there. At St Privat we are quite high up in the Languedoc and the soil is rich, comprising shale, sandstone and clay-limestone.
All these elements contribute to the magic of the terroir and the wines it produces..
What are the characteristics of the terroir found in your wine?
Saint Privat is at the heart of the Terrasses du Larzac terroir. It benefits from the generosity of the Languedoc coupled with the coolness of the Larzac. Moreover, its altitude (up to 350m) together with its shale-type soil makes it an exceptional terroir. Saint Privat is situated over several valleys so the vines have access to different exposures.
It’s been four years now since you embarked on this adventure. What led you up to it?
I think the main thing is the human aspect. Above all, is meeting Olivier Jullien, which was a rich and unique experience. Olivier has to be one of the best researchers of « terroir » in the Languedoc. He was instrumental in my falling for the terroir at Saint-Privat. The other deciding factor was the tests we did in 2007 on the grapes from the forgotten vines. At the time, I was an intern at Olivier’s winery as part of my studies to become an agricultural engineer. We were surprised at the quality of the grapes from the « vignes oubliées » and wanted to see if this quality translated itself into wine.
What made you choose such an evocative name as « vignes oubliées » for your wine?
We chose it for the simple reason that the vineyards were highly likely to disappear. They were little by little being left by the wayside, as they no longer corresponded to the culture of cooperative production. We decided to adapt ourselves to the yields and work required by the vines and ensured that everyone was satisfied: the growers, the consumers and ourselves. Hence as long as the name exists on our bottles, the vines will not be forgotten.