Albariño at Château Auzines with Laurent Miquel
An invitation from Neasa and Laurent Miquel to come and visit Château Auzines again found me driving to Lagrasse on a sunny April morning. From Lagrasse you take a winding road up into the hills, crossing more than one old stone bridge - and then you reach your destination. This is the home of Albariño in the Languedoc. I first visited Auzines in 2010 when Albariño was just an idea in Laurent’s mind. The property that he had bought the previous year, signing for it on Friday 13th February, had 14 hectares of Syrah, but Laurent had a hunch that this cooler part of the Languedoc could be perfect for Albariño. And he has been proved right. The area replicates the conditions that you find in Galicia. After all it grows in the coolest part of Spain. There is wind every day. The average wine speed is 50 kms per hour and it often reaches 70 or 80 kms. And the wind reduces the temperature. 20C drops to 13C, and the wind increases humidity which Albariño likes. So the first Albariño was planted in 2011, with a first vintage in 2013. Laurent has systematically pulled up the Syrah and Viognier - it is too cold and windy for Viognier and he now has 25 hectares of Albariño in production, with another five planted. The altitude is 250 m - 350 metres. And there are just two remaining hectares of Syrah. Syrah doesn’t really ripen here, nor does Viognier, but Chardonnay does well here. Albariño produces small berries with thick skins.
Laurent also runs the family wine estate, Cazal Viehl, in St Chinian so naturally we talked about the differences. Conditions are completely different. Chardonnay there is ready to pick in the middle of August. In Lagrasse the harvest is 10 - 15 days later, thanks to the wind and the humidity from the nearby hills. He has a weather station which gives him detailed information. Rain in March is critical. The large amount of rain this year will produce a large crop, whereas a dry winter makes for small crop. Water in March is critical as that is the moment in the growing cycle when the vine assesses the situation. There are sensors in the soil which provide soundings. Production costs are higher here.
It was a lovely vineyard walk, with some wonderful scenery. The soil is clay and limestone and very stony. Laurent talked about the need to break up the stones, or to move very large stones from the vineyards. A water supply is critical. He has a 6 million litre reservoir, which the firemen used to combat the nearby fires last summer. This was constructed in 2015, and has made all the difference, ensuring that he did not need to worry about water. He talked about regenerative viticulture, leaving the grass, but does not want too much compost.
There are no reference points for Albariño. It doesn't sell in France, but is doing quite well on the Irish market - Neasa is Irish - and also in the UK. Laurent suggested that Albariño may have been was brought Galicia by French monks from Cluny, but there is no mention of that in José Vouillamoz's authoritative tome, Wine Grapes.
So after an energetic walk we adjourned to a cheerful restaurant, Le Bastion, in Lagrasse for some tasting and lunch. And it was warm enough to sit outside, which was such a treat after the chilly weather I had left behind in London.
2025 Albarino, IGP
Light dry peachy. good acidity Youthful A saline note on the finish.
Laurent suggested that Albarino can age, like Chablis, and since he was generous enough to give me a magnum, I am intending to keep it to see how it develops in a year or three.
2025 Jeu Floral rosé named for Jeux Floraux, a poetry contest for local poets. 45% Grenache Noir with some Cinsault and Syrah. Light and dry with some delicate raspberry fruit. A rounded finish and satisfying texture.
2023 Côte Chardonnay 228m, Pech Clamensou - the name of a lieu dit at Auzines.
A little colour. Quite rounded and textured on the palate with a good backbone of acidity. Very rounded, harmonious and complete. I am not always that enthusiastic about Chardonnay from the Languedoc, but there are exceptions to every rule.
2024 Côte 238m Albarino Pech Gentille
This definitely proved that Albariño benefits from a little bottle age. There was some appealing evolution on the palate, compared to the 2025, with a more creamy texture and a little more weight, but still some fresh acidity. Laurent observed that Albarino is consistent, as is Chardonnay, but Viognier and Syrah are not.
The main pressure is: do we have enough water. They pick at night when it is cooler. And why Albariño. Quite simply “because I like it”. We are near the sea and Albariño is perfect for sea food restaurants. He likes the acidity of Albariño, and he also enthused about Grüner Veltliner for the same reason.
The very first planting of Albariño was at Cazal Viehl, without any authorisation or permission. He wanted to analyse its behaviour. In Galicia it is grown on a pergola, but here it is a double guyot pruning which entails twice the amount of work. A good pruner had do 900 vines a day with single guyot, but only 450 with double guyot, as there is quite simply double the number branches. The only other producer of Albariño in the Languedoc is the big négociant company, Foncalieu, but not in any quantity, and “they have planted in the wrong place”.
Laurent has a vision of Lagrasse becoming a mini Sancerre, but with Albariño rather than Sauvignon …. And he has sold it to restaurants on Ibiza and Mallorca.….Its future in Lagrasse looks rosy.
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