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Château de Vaugelas, Corbières-Lagrasse
The flagship of the Bonfils family’s collection of well-situated Languedoc domaines, this historic 270-acre estate is located in the hills of Lagrasse, reputed to be the best of Corbières’ eleven growing zones. From the beginning of the 16th century until the French Revolution, Vaugelas was the preferred source of wine for the famous Abbaye de Lagrasse. This grand-scale Benedictine monastery was a stronghold of the Roman Catholic Church dating back to 799. The abbey was an instrumental outpost in the merciless eradication of the Cathars and suppression of other heretical beliefs.
Abundant sunshine accompanied by almost constant wind in this high elevation terroir (1300 to 1600 feet) provides ideal conditions for the hearty red varieties of Château de Vaugelas, which include gnarled Carginan vines over 100-years-old. Though not certified, vineyard practices are essentially organic at Vaugelas, as natural conditions eliminate the need for pesticides and fungicides and the soil is worked manually. Yields are kept well below permissible levels and despite the considerable size of the estate, Jean-Michel Bonfils and his three sons insist that harvest is conducted by hand.
The estate’s top cuvée, Le Prieuré, is named for the satellite priories established by the Benedictine monks of the Abbey of Lagrasse throughout the region. This deeply-colored, elegantly structured red is a shining example of the enormous potential of Corbières’ finest crus.
Domaine Facts
| Vines & Wines: | 270 acres planted to Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and a small percentage of Mourvèdre. All vineyards sustainably farmed (lutte raisonnée). Corbières Le Prieuré: 35% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 30% Carignan, 5% Mourvèdre Corbières Cuvée Prestige (not currently imported by JWS) |
| Soil: | Jurassic limestone and clay marl |
| Harvest: | Manual harvest with strict selection in both vineyard and on sorting table upon arrival at the cellar. |
| Yields: | Average 40 to 45 hectoliters/hectare with miniscule 25 hl/ha from the ancient Carignan vines |
| Vinification & Elevage: |
Total destemming. All fermentation takes place in concrete tanks with a portion of the harvest fermented using the carbonic maceration method. Non-carbonic must gets daily pigéage (punching down) for the normal two-week cuvaison. Elevage for the estate’s top two cuvées listed above takes place in a combination of concrete vats and oak barrels, one-third of which are new (three year rotation). Wines are not filtered. |
| Annual Production: | 300,000 bottles / 25,000 cases |