"The grape harvest? Our reason for living!"

Jean-Marc Lafage's wines are served at the Élysée Palace! A source of pride for this winemaker who has winemaking in his blood. First working alongside his father, who made wine on steep plots in Maury, and then at the helm of his own estate nestled in the Pyrénées-Orientales, Jean-Marc, the oenologist, has proven his talent. It is with the passion of a winemaker who loves his craft that he answers our questions.

The career path of Jean-Marc Lafage, winemaker at Domaine Lafage

In the rural world of the 1970s, boys quickly began helping with outdoor work. My father was a winemaker, so naturally, I followed him to the vineyard. We were living in Maury at the time, and we had a plot of very old vines situated on a magnificent, extremely steep terroir. Mechanization was impossible: everything was done by hand, and the beautiful grapes we produced were the first I was allowed to vinify on my own. It was there, in the silence, at the pace of human labor, that I met my father and discovered my first passion: the vine. I later met my wife, Eliane, at our oenology school, and then the desire to travel took hold of us. Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, Spain… So many countries, so many enriching experiences.

Confidences from Jean-Marc Lafage of Domaine Lafage

If I had to choose a wine, I would choose La Cuvée Nicolas, 100% Grenache Noir, naturally. Because I'm a big fan of Grenache; this grape variety remains my favorite. I've had the opportunity to make all kinds of wines with it, all over the world. But the Aspres region is a truly exceptional terroir!

Like all winemakers on earth I think, my favorite time of year is still the harvest! It's a bit like our reason for living, the excitement of the new vintage, the first juices in the cellar… Ours lasts for almost two months.

Wines from Domaine Lafage served at the Élysée Palace

Even though no one is a prophet in their own land, not distributing our wines in France, in our own country, remained a great frustration. For the past three years, we have been working on this, with the help of our Sales Director, Jérémy Gaudineau. The results are extremely encouraging… And when I see my wines on a restaurant wine list, I am the first to be flattered. But the day I learned that our wines were being served at the Élysée Palace… What pride! Especially outside our region, I love the idea of ​​helping French epicureans rediscover Roussillon . We are eager to see how consumers will receive our wines from this new vintage.

Roussillon: a mosaic of terroirs

A plot of land was for sale in the heart of the Aspres region : Le Vignon. This gave my wife and me the opportunity to build a new project… at home. Roussillon is first and foremost a mosaic of terroirs. Among these, we chose three, as our areas of focus, which seemed to us the best suited to the profile of the wines we wanted to produce:

As you travel up the Agly River and valley, the Catalan vineyards climb higher. For centuries, they have taken root in black marl and layered schist, swept by strong north winds. Here, we come seeking the richness and authenticity of traditional Catalan grape varieties.

It is the freshness of the seaside that we seek for our vines planted on terraces of rounded pebbles from the ancient Quaternary period. They strive to capture the capricious sea breezes. In the late afternoon, the light cloud cover that stretches along the coast brings a salty note to the vineyard, against a backdrop of invigorating sea spray.

The elegance of the Vignon tradition. Planted on terraces following the contours of the land, this vineyard, partly trained in the goblet style, languidly embraces the curves of the Pyrenean foothills. Unyielding to the strong, scorching tramontane winds that sweep across the summer's scorching earth, this terroir, situated at an altitude of 400 meters, in a warm climate, vibrates with an intense energy.

The influence of travel on the vines of Domaine Lafage

What did I learn during my travels abroad? To speak English…? More seriously, I learned the different facets of our profession, but above all, how to bring out the freshness of each grape variety, even in the hottest countries. Very useful when your vines are located in the Pyrénées-Orientales.

The geographical location of the Domaine Lafage vineyards, in Roussillon

The fact that the estate is located near the sea brings a refreshing coolness to our vines . The sea breeze has a real influence on the grapes, especially the white and rosé wines. This briny, salty character is quite distinctive.

Find Lafage estate wines at Les Grappes

Loïc Tanguy (Les Grappes)