Invested in the Languedoc "Grés de Montpellier" and Languedoc "Pézenas" appellations , Château Haut-Blanville is characterized by a plot-by-plot approach to the vineyard where each wine strives to express the mineral qualities of the terroir in which it was born.
A Mediterranean terroir
Château Haut-Blanville is a family estate founded in 1997 by Béatrice and Bernard Nivollet, recently joined by their daughters Charlotte and Margaux. The vineyard is located in the Saint Pargoire appellation, west of Montpellier and north of the Thau Lagoon. The setting suggests a typically Mediterranean climate, where the proximity of the coastline makes maritime influences dominant. To the north of the appellation rise the foothills of the Terrasses du Larzac , which act as a barrier against cool winds. The terroir is that of the Grés de Montpellier , a name inherited from Occitan, referring to predominantly stony soils. A plot located within the Pézenas AOC completes the wine estate. In fact, on these plains vineyards, the average temperature is higher than in other Languedoc appellations. The grapes ripen early, resulting in wines with a dense profile, structured tannins, and a minerality typical of these sandstone soils.
Burgundian inspiration
When the Nivollet family acquired Château Haut-Blanville , they brought to Languedoc an approach to terroir inspired by their Burgundian heritage. More specifically, they adopted the principle of dividing the vineyard into climats (individual vineyard plots). The vineyard was thus built up through the gradual acquisition of selected parcels, giving rise to the single-vineyard wines of Blanville . Five AOP-classified terroirs characterize the estate: Vieux Chemin de Fer , Les Légendes , Les Charmes , Las Combes , and Peyrals . Behind this simple list, the profile of the wines, expressing the unique character of each plot, is already foreshadowed. The grape varieties themselves are selected according to the individual character of each parcel. Their range is typically Languedocian, dominated by Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache and Carignan for the reds, complemented by Grenache, Marsanne, Roussane, Sauvignon, Rolle ( or Vermentino ) and Viognier for the whites.
Plot-based cuvées
The Blanville wines are the result of an intimate link woven between terroirs and grape varieties. In strict logic, the cuvées are distinguished according to their plot origin. From the land of peyrals are coming Fullness in Grenache noir or Whispers in majority Syrah while Poets introduced a Mourvèdre version. The Old railway generates the cuvée 1955, also honoring Syrah. Calypso is born from the terroir of Charms of which it also values Syrah here, alongside Black Pearl which is dedicated to Cabernet Sauvignon. Time for each of these reds is a major ally: in Grés de Montpellier breeding requires a minimum patience of one year. AT Chateau Haut-Blanville, where new barrels are often required, aging in the cellar can take two to three years. Expressive of another face of the vineyard of High Blanville, the whites from plot vinification are also present. From the terroir of legends comes from a white wine from Viognier named Garden of Legends. From Charms, the reunion of Viognier, Chardonnay, Marsanne and Roussanne gives substance to Albisson Gardens. As to Garden of Eden, these are Grenache blanc and Roussanne from Old railway which builds the aromatic spirit. In red as in white, the choice of juices is a determining act of the profile of each wine. Fruits of rigorous selections for the definition of plot cuvées, they are also assembled in Blends. They thus open up other perspectives on the wealth of resources offered by the terroirs of Blanville.
Blanville wines on video
