Domaine La Grange
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The soils of La Grange
The vineyards are situated around and upon three volcanoes: St. Marthe, St. Hilaire, and Cadables. At the time these volcanoes were formed, the earth's crust was fractured and deformed. As a result, many different rock formations can be found at La Grange: shell limestone, Keuper, sandstone, Villefranchien, calcareous Lias, slate, clay-limestone soils, and porphyry. La Grange also has vineyards in two river valleys. There, one finds alluvial soils on highly mixed scree with many quartz boulders.
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The Winery
La Grange is a traditional winery that Renate and Rolf Freund breathed new life into in 2008. In a
paradisiacal landscape, the most exciting wines and olive oils of the Languedoc are created there today. In harmony with nature,
La Grange produces unmistakable wines in the midst of the garrigue, the typical scrubland of the Mediterranean landscape. The air is scented
with rosemary, thyme, lovage, and lavender. The song of the cicadas and birds fills the air - a paradise!The winery's young, dynamic team lives for the vines and for the wines.
Nicolas de Saint-Exupery is the "Régisseur," as they say in France, and ensures that everything works well together organizationally.
Nicolas is the great-nephew of the famous author Antoine de Saint-Exupery (The Little Prince). He is an experienced wine professional. He
managed his parents' winery for nearly twenty years before coming to La Grange.
Eric Thomas is the winery's chief oenologist. He is a "child of the region," having grown up in the Languedoc and with wine. He studied in
Montpellier and brings nearly 20 years of professional experience with him. Most recently, he was the oenologist at La Croix Belle, a renowned
winery in the Languedoc.
The entire team is also advised by the experienced Kyriakos Kynigopoulos (France's Oenologist of the Year).
Kyriakos is a star without airs. He loves to eat and raves about his wines. He imparts to the wines some of the coolness,
finesse, and elegance of the great Burgundies.
Eric Martin provides consulting support for olive oil production at La Grange. He has an estate in the Ardèche, Domaine de la
Magnanerie. There, he produces exclusively olive oil, which was awarded the title of world's best olive oil at Flos Olei, the most important
award for olive oil, in the category of oil from multiple olive varieties.All work at La Grange is geared toward preserving its paradisiacal nature. Therefore, work is carried out strictly according to the rules of
TERRA VITIS, the most important association for sustainable viticulture.
The effort has paid off: La Grange is certified HVE Level 3 (Haute Valeur Environnementale). This is the highest level of the
most important state seal for sustainable management. Only in this way can paradise remain a paradise
