Location
Classified as AOP since 2003, the appellation Languedoc - Sandstone from Montpellier brings together the vineyards peripheral to the Montpellier agglomeration. Westward it extends to the northern tip of theThau pond where it finds its border with the vineyards of Pinet Popsicle. To the east, it runs from the suburbs of Montpellier to the Vidourle valley. To the south, the Mediterranean forms the horizon while the lands of Pic Saint Loup establish the northern limit. Singularity of Montpellier sandstone, the terroir also includes four other denominations of Languedoc : La Méjanelle, Saint-Christol, Saint-Drezery, Saint-Georges-d'Orques. This inclusion is explained by the extent of the appellation which stretches over a coastal strip of nearly 60 kilometers along the Mediterranean. If some alluvial variations qualify the geology of the vineyard, their common origin resulting from the work of the rivers and the sea consolidated by the climatic coherence prove to be determining of the homogeneity of the wines.
History, climate, terroir
A land suitable for vines since the Roman period, wine production has flourished around the domitian way and Roman port of Lattara. The medieval period, supported by the monastic activity of the abbeys of Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone then of Valmagne, participated in consolidating the sustainable establishment of the vine. The Mediterranean climate, regulated by sea winds in the south but protected from the cold by the screen of the Cévennes in the north, contributes favorably to the ripening cycle. In Languedoc, the notion of “ sandstone »Describes a stony ground. Forged by the proximity of the Rhône delta, the alluvial terraces where the vineyard takes root are characterized by the density of limestone shards and layers of rolled pebbles that cover the soil. The appellation Montpellier sandstone being reserved for red wines, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre are dominant, intended to be blended at least in pairs to the tune of 70%. Cinsault and Carignan can complete the profile of the cuvées. Favoring a balance between fruits and spices, but of typically southern stature, the wines of Montpellier sandstone are also characterized by their amplitude and silky tannins.
The Grés de Montpellier vineyard
Alexandre thouroude, director of the appellation from 2018 to 2020, explains in three key points the determinants that forge the reputation of the vineyard: its Story, these are climate, its stony soils called sandstone in Occitan.