Formerly known as Domaine des 1000 Roses, the Domaine d'Emile et Rose, can be found just north of Beziers. Here the Giscalards tend just 10 or 12 hectares of vines, (the number goes up and down whenever you talk to Marcel!) and make a range of lovely wines. Many of the vines on the domain are very old, with some planted in the years immediately after the Great War, with others planted in the 1950’s. Today Marcel Giscalard’s focus is on making wines of the highest quality .

 

The vineyards are certified organic, with the grapes all picked by hand only when they have reached full phenolic ripeness and when they “taste ready”. During the harvest bunches of grapes perceived to be suffering from some malady are discarded.

 

This ethos of quality continues when the grapes reach the cellar, the black grapes are de-stemmed and slowly fermented in cuve using only the natural yeasts living on the grape skins, with each variety and each parcel of land vinified separately. Some of the wine is aged in barrels, the rest in cuve, with none of the wine filtered before bottling. The white wines are made from Carignan Blanc, a rare variety that here produces a wonderful, complex rich wines.

Marcel is justifiably takes great pride in his wines; they are all marked by the terroir, which is highlighted by his philosophy of minimal intervention in the vineyard and the cellar.

This domain is highly rated by many wine journalists, with it being a particular favourite of Jancis Robinson.