Domaine J.Laurens

The estate has exclusively produced sparkling wines since its inception, and this is our specialty and our expertise. Our hillside vineyards are called "les Blanquetières" because the Mauzac grape, a traditional variety, has the particularity of having leaves with a white underside in the spring, which, with the Cers wind, turn over and give the impression of a "white" vine, hence the name Blanquette. Anecdotes from the Estate: Being a winemaker means loving what you do because it's a profession of passion, but it also means doing it for those you love because it's a profession where generosity is at the heart of the exchange. A sparkling wine like the ones we love to produce at J. Laurens is defined by the following adjectives: taut, ethereal, long on the palate (in other words: tenacious!), but always pure. The estate is located a stone's throw from the Pays de Sault, a high plateau not far from Limoux, where I was born. The Estate's Story: Created in the 1980s by a Champagne native who saw the region's potential for sparkling wines. I took it over in 2001 with the desire to develop this lovely little estate. After years working in IT abroad, the desire to return to my home region and contribute to its growth began to stir within me. Very quickly, I felt the urge to develop the J. Laurens estate. There was genuine expertise with the existing cellar master and a great deal of potential. Surrounded by a small, close-knit, and enthusiastic team, we expanded, restructured, and innovated. The estate is proud to produce exclusively sparkling wines, a specialty and hallmark of our expertise. Over the years, our reputation has grown significantly, with numerous articles appearing in prestigious publications such as Le Monde, L'Express, Le Nouvel Observateur, The New York Times, The Financial Post, and The Decanter. Our vines are planted on the hillsides surrounding the nearby village, known locally as "Les Blanquetières." This is due to the Mauzac grape, a traditional variety, which has the unique characteristic of having leaves with white undersides in the spring. These leaves, blown by the Cers wind, turn inside out, giving the impression of a "white" vine, hence the name Blanquette. Our clay-limestone soils require fertilizer. Here, we use only organic fertilizer out of respect for the environment. The harvest is entirely manual, and each year we welcome a team of about twenty pickers and porters to our vineyards. The work is hard because the vines are planted on hillsides, but the atmosphere is wonderful as we bring in our harvest by hand.