Domaine J.Laurens from Languedoc

   
Located in Languedoc · France

‘Quality over quantity’ is the motto of the team at Domaine J.Laurens, a 40-hectare estate near Limoux with a sole focus on producing sparkling wines under the Blanquette and Cremant de Limoux AOCs. 

This concentrated focus reflects the best of this area – Blanquette de Limoux was first established in this area in the 16th century when the concept of a second fermentation was discovered through a happy accident, with the Crémant de Limoux following in 1990. Both are crafted from the mauzac grapes that are native to the Limoux area and thrive in its climate and soils.

Domaine J.Laurens was founded in the 1980s, when Champagne expert Michel Dervin purchased some land in La Digne d’Aval with the aim of exploring the area’s potential for sparkling wine production. Limoux local entrepreneur Jacques Calvel took over in 2002, restructuring the vineyard to improve the wines’ quality and guarantee consistency.

Strict rules govern the production of Limoux wines, so the method employed here is a very traditional one, starting with a pneumatic pressing and two fermentation stages. Grapes are harvested by hand (with a limit of 50hl per hectare) and wines must rest on their lees for at least nine months to comply with the rules for this intriguing set of wines.