EXPOSED
Duality arouses curiosity. It describes the wine. It sheds light on mysteries.
Away from the jostling of schist and limestone, the ‘trios’ create an intimate encounter with three vintages to prove their worth. The most highly acclaimed garner the ‘Virtuoses’ accolade, the Holy Grail of our winegrowers.
Leaving all these events and hustle-bustle behind, we invite you to indulge in a feast for the eyes and the taste buds on our Saint-Chinian wine road trip.
Now for the
‘Face to Face’ confrontation
Schist/limestone
Winegrowers are happy to oblige for this comparative tasting of wines grown on schist and limestone. They describe in the utmost detail the technical journey of each wine: the vintage, the weather, the grape varieties, the elevation, the type of winemaking and ageing techniques… The purpose is to compare like with like. Duos can then be formed.
The ‘Face to Face’ confrontations with pairs of wines are established and winegrowers practise ‘laying themselves bare’.
On the day, the room is packed to the rafters and the judges are restless. The glasses are filled, taste buds are already salivating and you could hear a pin drop. The sound of slurping gets louder. The first words are spoken, comments arise, and comparisons.
Attentive up to that point, the winegrowers loosen up and transport us along a wine road trip, from the village to the vineyard and on to the winery, our eyes and taste buds alive with excitement.
Now for the
‘Face to Face’ confrontation
Schist/limestone
Winegrowers are happy to oblige for this comparative tasting of wines grown on schist and limestone. They describe in the utmost detail the technical journey of each wine: the vintage, the weather, the grape varieties, the elevation, the type of winemaking and ageing techniques… The purpose is to compare like with like. Duos can then be formed.
The ‘Face to Face’ confrontations with pairs of wines are established and winegrowers practise ‘laying themselves bare’.
On the day, the room is packed to the rafters and the judges are restless. The glasses are filled, taste buds are already salivating and you could hear a pin drop. The sound of slurping gets louder. The first words are spoken, comments arise, and comparisons.
Attentive up to that point, the winegrowers loosen up and transport us along a wine road trip, from the village to the vineyard and on to the winery, our eyes and taste buds alive with excitement.
The Trios acclaimed
as Virtuoses
The Trios, a collection
of three vintages
Nobody doubts that Saint-Chinian produces emotion-inspiring, age-worthy wines. Saying it is one thing, but proving it is better, hence the purpose of these workshops. For each trio, every winegrower presents their finest plots, their top wines, over three vintages. With a few years’ bottle time, their intrinsic features emerge, marked by the story of the vintage, and of the winegrower. As a living, sensitive product, a wine’s maturity stems from its inherent energy.
The Virtuoses award-winners
The winegrowers’ Holy Grail has been given a name – the Virtuoses selection. We regularly invite independent judges with a honed and uncompromising palate – MWs, journalists, sommeliers and critics for example – to assess our top wines. An initial selection is based on technical management: the age of the vines, their yields, their aspect and maturation. Next comes a vertical tasting of three vintages (including at least one available for sale). The wines are examined and judged, leading to a choice of wines which is challenged with every new selection.
A cursory glance at a map of the soils in the Saint-Chinian appellation shows just how difficult it would be to distinguish between two outstanding and consistent areas. So another approach emerged and that is to select the finest wines and observe them to understand why they are so good!
The wine road trip
Vignobles & Découvertes
This guide highlights a tourist destination with a wine focus. It features a comprehensive, varied choice of activities including accommodation, eateries, winery visits and tastings, walks, museums and events.
Our itinerary is named after the three appellations it crosses – Minervois, Saint-Chinian and Faugères. Such incredible diversity packed into a small area is a rare opportunity not to be missed!
Link
Œno-rando
The Oeno-Rando® are walking routes endorsed by the French Walking Federation (FFRP).
Our itinerary offers the promise of being able to discover the schist and limestone landscapes on the hills above Saint-Chinian, and an invitation to taste wines at the Saint-Chinian wine centre, in the village centre near the market square.
You can download the map straight onto your mobile.
Link
Carnet de Vignes
This guide takes you from village to village along the Saint-Chinian wine route. Whether you are travelling by bicycle, motorbike or car, open it and let yourself be blown away by the spectacular scenery created by its rugged geology, the hospitality of its winegrowers and wines with captivating articulacy.
For a refreshing interlude, discover the walks and canoeing featured at the end of the guide.
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The programmes
– A Sunday in the country – 1 day – the famous farmers’ market in Saint-Chinian on the Sunday morning and the Saint-Chinian wine centre. If you’re lucky, you may just overhear winegrowers in a heated discussion over schist and limestone. With picnic in hand, it’s off to Roquebrun for some fishing or canoeing,
the choice is yours. Once you’ve chilled, you can begin the climb up Mount Caroux!
– A country getaway – 3 days – guest accommodation at a winery, a taste of the good life (outdoor market, the Saint-Chinian wine centre, the pink-themed village of Castigno with a choice of wine bar, Michelin-starred restaurant or food to go), outdoor activities (fishing, canoeing, rock climbing, hiking), visits (chateaux, winery art at the Saint-Chinian co-operative winery), and walks (the gateway to the Haut Languedoc national park with its distinctive gorges, babbling brooks and characterful villages).
The programmes
– A Sunday in the country – 1 day – the famous farmers’ market in Saint-Chinian on the Sunday morning and the Saint-Chinian wine centre. If you’re lucky, you may just overhear winegrowers in a heated discussion over schist and limestone. With picnic in hand, it’s off to Roquebrun for some fishing or canoeing,
the choice is yours. Once you’ve chilled, you can begin the climb up Mount Caroux!
– A country getaway – 3 days – guest accommodation at a winery, a taste of the good life (outdoor market, the Saint-Chinian wine centre, the pink-themed village of Castigno with a choice of wine bar, Michelin-starred restaurant or food to go), outdoor activities (fishing, canoeing, rock climbing, hiking), visits (chateaux, winery art at the Saint-Chinian co-operative winery), and walks (the gateway to the Haut Languedoc national park with its distinctive gorges, babbling brooks and characterful villages).
