Domaine de la Grange des Peres

The vineyards of Domaine La Grange des Peres can be found in the south of France, in the Languedoc region. The first vines were planted in 1988 and the first vintage came onto the market about four years later. The founder of the winery is Laurent Vailé. He previously worked as a physiotherapist, but he found his true calling in the 1980s. He gained experience working for Jean-François Coche of Coche-Dury in Burgundy and for Gérard Chave in the Rhône, among others.

When he decided to set up his own winery in Aniane, in the Hérault department, many people thought he had lost his mind. They couldn’t believe that this was the region to produce top-class wines. But Laurent and his two brothers proved them wrong.

The vineyards are situated on a 400-meter-high plateau in the Terrasses du Larzac zone. The vines planted here are Syrah, Marsanne, Roussanne, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The use of those last two means that Laurent is not entitled to an AOP status because the regulations exclude these two grape varieties. That is why the wines are marketed under the name Vin de Pays de l'Hérault. But that doesn’t say anything about the quality, because Laurent has certainly proven that he produces fantastic wines.

The yield per hectare is deliberately kept low in order to harvest bunches of very good quality. The yield is on average 22 hl/ha. The white wines are fermented in both new and used 600-liter barrels. The red wines ferment in stainless steel tanks. They are then aged in French oak barriques.

Every year, the wines of La Grange des Peres get high scores with international wine journalists, such as James Suckling and Robert Parker! The best vintages of La Grange des Peres are 2005, 2006 and 2007.