A Visit to Domaine St Andre

I first visited this jewel of an estate in 2022, fresh from Covid Lockdowns (remember them? What a strange and Orwellian age we existed in between 2020 and 2022. Dystopia would have been a welcome respite...)

I digress.

I remember the drive up to this wee Chateau, situated on the lowest of rolling scrub hills that looked towards the azure Mediterranean and the Etang de Thau – a unique lagoon in the near distance which has freshwater fed in at one end, and, many miles away, salt water inlet through a narrow  gap from the Med – thus making the perfect ‘breeding ground’ for both fresh and salt water oysters.

Domaine St Andre was bought in 2020 by LGI, our largest, and most quality conscious wine supplier in the Languedoc. Lying midway between Beziers and the tourist hotspot of Sete, the estate comprises around 35 Hectares of vineyards, grouped closely around the honey-coloured stone Chateau and winery. Domaine St Andre was founded as a private residence in 1785, with fruit orchards and olives planted first, before the transition to a vineyard in the late 1800’s. In 2002 the estate was bought by the Ines family, whose plan to make it a top, TOP winery faltered due to lack of understanding (and, eventually, funds). In 2020 the estate was snapped up by Xavier Roger from LGI, who clearly saw the potential in the well sited temperate vineyards, soils and smart cellars. Since then, money has been spent wisely, adding new stainless steel tanks, temperature control, refurbishment of concrete tanks, barrels, new presses and de-stemmers etc in addition to refurbishment of the chateau into a wonderful country house that can host private parties and gatherings.

         

The estate of St Andre has around 15 varietals planted on its clay, limestone and sandy soils, including the likes of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Roussanne amongst the whites whilst reds are a typical  mixture of Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault and Alicante Bouschet, alongside noble (and in the Languedoc, lesser recognised) varietals such as Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. After both hand and machine harvesting, the grapes are brought into the winery quickly, destemmed and transferred into a series of steel tanks, each one processing a single grape variety, for fermenting at a low and controlled temperature.  After ferment starts, some juice is then transferred to large 400 lit oak casks (Vosges and Limousin) where they finish ferment and stay for 4-6 months on fine lees, prior to fining and bottling. The red wines are aged a little longer in oak, with around 20% new oak annually.

The range is small, yet perfectly formed, the emphasis is on blending, to produce a small series of deliciously harmonious and elegant wines, devoid of homogeneity, yet vibrant and showing tension and fruit in equal balance.

After arriving at the Chateau, an hours drive to the East from Carcassonne, I always take a walk through the vineyards that surround the estate. The views toward the Etang (lagoon) are a tonic after suffering at the hands of Ryanair et al, whilst the cooler air and constant breeze seem to settle the soul within minutes of stepping onto the vineyards. Climb to the summit of the hill overlooking the domaine and you see the many differing plots laid out before you. Vermentino is planted on the sandy part, Roussanne on more limestone, and where the soils become more rocky, there is Grenache Noir and Syrah. The outcrops of heavier, water-retaining clay soil is, like in St Emilion, reserved for the Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Chardonnay prefers slopes and free draining soil, whereas the Sauvignon Blanc likes a north facing aspect and more acidic soils – important to keep minerality and freshness in the grapes. Planted between these major varieties is Viognier, Mourvedre, Cinsault and Carignan.

   

When I was there recently, the harvest was just finished - the vines now bare of grapes, whilst the smell of fermenting wine emanating from the open winery doors was deliciously appealing. Destemming is done for all, before the red grapes are crushed and the whites pressed. Outside the new winery an old pneumatic press sits, abandoned and awaiting collection as the new winery has a larger and more modern press installed since 2022. As you walk through the winery, the old concrete vats stand in one ‘barn’, now full of the fermenting sweet purple juice of the Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault, whilst the whites ferment in the steel tanks next door. The barrel room is also full of new barrels, each marked with the grape fermenting inside – Viognier, Chardonnay, Syrah etc. After fermenting separately, the grapes for each style are blended, married in tank then transferred back into oak for a short period to settle, before bottling. Throughout, the culture of the winemaking is ‘hands off’, no chemical interference or adjustments are made, and the wines have slight filtering after racking prior to bottling.

The range is small yet perfectly formed.

The ‘Maritime’ range comprises a red and a white at the entry level. The white is a vibrant, unoaked and zesty blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino and Roussanne, whilst the premium Folie de Ines Blanc consists of Chardonnay, Viognier and Roussanne with the Roussanne being the only varietal that doesn’t see oak.

The reds are similar in blend too. The Maritime red is a juicy and lushly open blend of Merlot, Syrah and Alicante Bouschet, whilst the premium Folie de Ines Rouge sees the Grenache, Syrah, Merlot, Cinsault and Cab Franc with Syrah and Merlot seeing new oak.

The Rosé, which is only produced under the Folie de Ines label, is mainly Cinsault and Grenache and is lightly pink and utterly delicious after an afternoons tramp through the late autumn-warmed vineyards (trust me – we do sometimes have tough days in the wine industry!)

In summary, this beautiful boutique estate is a great addition to our range. The range of wines they produce encapsulate the freshness and vivacity of this cooler region of the Languedoc, showing great typicity of varietal character, even within the blends. The wines are poised, elegant and yet seemingly open and lush – testament to the high quality of ripe fruit, whilst the structure is evident yet not brooding.

The Languedoc has often been seen as an area for commercial, easy drinking wines that lack complexity and appear quite rustic. Domaine St Andre proves that complexity, typicity, elegance and drinkability are more than possible, you just have to know what to plant, where to plant it, how to pick it, make it and mature it. 

Simples!

Click here to discover the wines of Domaine St Andre.

Neil Goldie
Director and Prestige Accounts    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Back to blog