Roquebrun Cellar

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The appellation Saint-Chinian Roquebrun stands out for its shale soil. Considered as one of the major crus of Languedoc, its very qualitative viticultural reputation is mainly driven by the dynamic Roquebrun Cellar.

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Schists as terroir

Roquebrun is a small village of Upper cantons of Hérault where there are approximately 600 inhabitants. Dominating one of the meanders of theOrb which meanders below, the agglomeration clings to the southern buttresses of the massifs of Caroux and espinous. On this southern flank of The Massif Central, a typically Mediterranean scrubland covers the reliefs of shale. On the gentler slopes it gives way to the vineyards of Saint-Chinian Roquebrun which unfolds in undulations all around the village. Toponymy, which has seen a succession of designations such as Rocha Bruna or even Rocabrunum unambiguously evokes the geology of a region where brown shale prevails. It is therefore understood that the singular minerality of the soils contributes to the signature of the wines aged by the Roquebrun Cellar.

Minerality as character

On these arid reliefs where irrigation has recently become widespread, viticulture has established itself as a vital resource. It brought together the women and men of the country, united by a natural solidarity which pushed them to create the Roquebrun Cellar in 1967. Today there are around seventy winegrowers who contribute to the vitality of the vineyard, the bulk of the production of which is ensured by their grouping together. Together, they watch over a heritage of 700 hectares of vines mostly facing south. The vineyard which clings to the relief adapts to staggered altitudes from the level of the Orb to culminating points approaching 300 meters in height. For red wines produced in the appellation Saint-Chinian Roquebrun, the main grape varieties are Syrah and Grenache, supported by Mourvèdre and Carignan. The terroir also generates white wines vinified in AOC Saint Chinian, AOC Languedoc or PGI Pays d'Oc which express this singular minerality that Grenache blanc, Roussanne or Viognier know how to capture in the shales.

The fruit as affirmation

One of the peculiarities of the Roquebrun Cellar is to have a technical platform that gives pride of place to carbonic macerations for red wines and pellicular macerations for white wines. These methods of vinification contribute to forging the distinctive mark of the Roquebrun Cellar : the dense expression of the fruit. The highly qualitative approach involved in the work of vinification and aging results in a list of awards that is as regular as it is notorious. We must not forget that at the heart of the appellation Saint-Chinian, designation Roquebrun distinguishes one of the major crus of Languedoc. In this register, the cellar is exemplary and uncompromisingly fulfills its role of ambassador and promoter of an exceptional terroir. This exemplary nature is confirmed by the tasting test. The cuvées on display are numerous and the best inventory is the boutique itself. Among the most demonstrative, it is however worth mentioning these few cuvées whose name carries in itself the evocation of the terroir: Baron d'Aupenac, Shale nuggets, Combes barn, Black Rocks for red wines, or Lands of Orb, Col de l'Orb for white and rosé wines.