Created by fire. Our vineyards rest on a colorful mosaic of different soils created by three volcanoes

The soils at La Grange are of incredible diversity

The vineyards are located around and on top of three volcanoes: St. Marthe, St. Hilaire and Cadables. As these volcanoes originated, the crust of the earth burst and was deformed. As a result, there is a large diversity in the structure of rock and soil at La Grange: limestone, keuper, sandstone, calcareous lias, clayey and calcareous soils, porphyry. In addition, La Grange has vineyards in two river valleys on alluvial soil and mixed debris.
This extraordinary diversity of the soil is reflected in multifaceted wines. La Grange cultivates all important lots separately and thus has a large number of batches in which the different terroirs find their expression. The diversity of the terroir can be compared to a concert grand piano. A good pianist is able to play outstanding music on it just as La Grange is able to produce outstanding wines.

La Grange has a mild Mediterranean climate

La Grange has a mild Mediterranean climate. The Mediterranean Sea, which can be seen from the hills of the vineyard, provides humidity in the summer and warm air in the winter. On the opposite side, the vineyards face the mountain range of the Cevennes from which downslope winds and coolness descend in the summer. At night the temperatures in the vineyards go down about 15 degrees. The vines are able to relax, the grapes ripen slowly and develop diverse, elegant and cool aromas. Since the temperatures have been rising due to climate change, La Grange plants vineyards especially on slopes facing to the north.

The vines of La Grange have their feet in the water

The hill on which La Grange is located is called Sabatier, named after the family that founded the place in the 19th century. Underneath this hill is a large water reservoir. The wells here have been famous for centuries because they never run dry. Here, the Romans once built an aqueduct and supplied their troops in Beziers with this water. This is an invaluable treasure in times of climate change and shortage of water supply.

The scent of paradise

Nature is in bloom here all year round. The air is filled with scents of rosemary, thyme and flowers of the respective season, which give our wines a unique, spicy note. It is, so to say, the authentic finger print of the wines of La Grange. In the Garrigue, the pine trees and cypress trees as well as the dense hedges are full of life. Redstarts, goldfinches, robins, different types of warblers, the always excited wagtails, hoopoes, orioles and kestrels nest on the estate each year. It’s as if you open a book on birds and let all of them fly around.
On summer days, the sound of the cicadas underneath the pine trees can sometimes be almost deafening. Lizards scurry into open cracks of the stone walls without making a sound and if you are lucky, you may even come across a vibrant green lizard. In the warm air of the evenings, bats flutter around quietly and when night falls the brilliant sky unfolds in which the clear splendor of the stars is the only light you will see. The diverse flowers and fruits attract plenty of bees and butterflies. The year begins with the cabbage white butterfly, brimstone, the Cleopatra, and the peacock butterfly. A bit later, large blues, silver-washed fritillary, and swallowtails follow. And when the fruits of the medlar fall to the ground and crack open, the rock graylings come in droves.