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The Terrasses du Larzac area is a brilliant combination of nature and culture, the wild open spaces have been zealously protected. Why not call in to our vineyard for a visit and sample some of our award winning wines and take in the amazing scenery.
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About La Sauvageonne

"After extensive research and traveling the coteaux-languedoc visiting many vineyards, we found the jewel in the crown of the volcanic area of Terrasses Du Larzac. High, rocky and inhospitable, perfect for vines and the potential to make wine of exceptional quality and complexity; so we began"

view of the La Sauvageonne building and scenery
view of the vineyard vines closer view of the the vineyard vines view of the grapes on the vines

A Brief History of La Sauvageonne

The land was cleared and planted over 30 years ago by the family Poncé. Their objective was to make terroir driven wines. Although they succeeded in their task, it was unfortunate that family differences finally led them to sell the domaine.

 

Fred Brown wanted to pursue his passion for wine, and bought the best vineyard he could find in the Coteaux du Languedoc. Fred had been an active member of the Yorkshire Sommeliers for many years and he and his wife Janet had often visited the Languedoc area because of its fantastic scenery and the quality of the wines. With the help of Gavin Crisfield, Fred and Janet began the search in the winter of 1999 for the best terroir available in the Languedoc region. They finally discovered La Sauvageonne, and it was clear from their very first visit that the vineyard had the potential for producing high quality wines.

 

The La Sauvageonne Philosophy

On taking over the La Sauvageonne vineyard, the vinification and viticulture methods previously used were re-evaluated. With the practice of minimal pumping and vine manipulation; cold maceration, manual cap punching, micro-oxygenation and malo-lactique fermentation in barrel, we were and indeed remain able to produce a range of quality wines previously unseen at the vineyard.

 

The use of chemical herbicides is avoided and vine treatments are kept to the minimum. We work the land and vines as much as possible by hand, with meticulous shoot and grape selection. This aids the phenolic ripening of the grapes and reduces the use of fungicides. Harvest is carried out between early September and late October; all parcels are harvested by hand and vinified separately; picking dates are determined by taste rather than analysis.

 

The La Sauvageonne Locale

Situated 50km north-west of Montpellier the domaine lies between Clermont l'Herault and Lodéve within the Terrasses du Larzac. The vines cover 42 hectares on a band of schist at an altitude of between 150 and 400m. A variety of well-exposed sites and the prevailing north westerly winds ensure that our vines reach perfect maturity with little risk of disease. All of our land is classified AOC Coteaux du Languedoc, 'Terrasses du Larzac'.

 

Find out more about Terrasses Du Larzac