The Terroir

The Estate of Vignelaure covers 100 hectares (250 acres) high in the hills north east of Aix-en-Provence. The Chateau, cellars and vineyards make up just over half the domaine with the rest being forest, natural woodland and garrigue. The 60 hectares of vineyard are divided into three distinct plantations each of roughly 20 hectares that are located in different parts of the valley which lies in the foothills of Mont Saint Victoire. These three parcels are named: La Grand Piece which is the original plantation of Cabernet Sauvignon at Vignelaure, Chantermerle which is nestled further up the valley sheltered from the weather and La Colline the highest and most exposed parcel which produces sublime Merlot.

Cabernet sauvignon, syrah, grenache, merlot, cinsault and carignan are grown in these three significantly different terroirs which are illustrated with the attached photographs. The vines vary in age with some parcels being close to one hundred years old to others planted in 2005, all producing yields significantly below the regional norms.

Vignelaure’s different soil types and micro-climates combine to produce grapes that have distinctly different characters, and when blended make the wines that have built the reputation of Vignelaure. Many vineyards have a variation of the same terroir but it is unusual to have such a diverse range blended together producing single wines.

The predominant components of the soil at Vignelaure are limestone and gravel mixed with flint and a base of cretaceous limestone. The impact of these soils on the character of the grapes is then further affected by the seasonal weather. Set at 400 metres Vignelaure experiences very distinct seasons. The summer days are hot and sunny, with cool nights and the autumn that follows are still warm but with even cooler nights. The winters are very cold with temperatures dropping to -15ºc and springs mild and usually wet. Although this sounds predictable, the weather is known to be capricious and there are significant variations from year to year – giving the different vintages their own character and expression. Some factors are constant year to year, the mistral and the intensity of the light which have significant impact on the health of the vines and the ripening of the grapes.

Many of the world’s great wines are produced at the extremes of their geographical possibility. The same challenge exists at Vignelaure in the vineyard to achieve a balance of ripeness of fruit and tannins while maintaining balanced acidity along with concentration and complexity of the actual flavours of the grapes.