Beaumes-de-Venise,
It is here that everything began, twenty years ago, when Xavier Vignon first arrived in the region. He fell in love with the village of Beaumes de Venise and the Dentelles de Montmirail as soon as he laid eyes on them. The Dentelles (meaning ‘lacy’) is indeed a very fitting name given the lacy appearance of these beautiful mountains!
In his role as consultant for many of the appellation’s wine domaines, Xavier has been fortunate enough get to know every inch of these incredible terroirs and magical landscapes, season upon season and year upon year.
Situated at the foothills of the Dentelles de Montmirail, this unique appellation, with vines ranging from 100 to 500 metres in altitude, is composed of three different soil types: white soils from the Cretaceous, grey soils from the Jurassic and lastly the famous marl soils from the Triassic.
Known as the appellation of two faces, it is reputed not only for the famous Muscat de Beaumes de Venise which is made using ancient production methods, but also its red wines. The appellation was awarded cru status in 2005.
It also benefits from an incredibly rich biodiversity composed of forests, vines, olive groves and fruit trees. This abundant vegetation forms a rare ecosystem which the region’s winemakers strive to preserve through the use of sustainable winemaking practices.
In the context of progressive global warming, these relatively cool terroirs continue to come into their own as the years go by and give rise to unique wines with strong personalities.