Château de Lascaux

The vineyards of Château de Lascaux have been in the family for thirteen generations. The name of the domaine, “Lascaux” comes from a limestone specific to the domaine’s vineyard sites. Jean-Benoît Cavalier took direction of the property in 1984, just after finishing a degree in Agricultural Engineering. In 1990, he consolidated the vineyards, restructured the ancient cellars, and created the official domaine, Château de Lascaux. Today, over twenty-five years later, the domaine has expanded from twenty-five to eighty-five hectares of vineyards, surrounded by three-hundred hectares of forest, filled with green oaks, pines, and garrigue. The quiet isolation of this part of the region, coupled with its proximity to both the sea and the mountains, makes this microclimate so unique. It is nestled along the foothills of the Cevennes, a mountain range that sits in the heart of the Midi. These foothills protect the vines from the cool Mistral and Tramontagne winds, and bring more rain to an otherwise dry climate. That this temperate zone brings a long, slow ripening of the grapes only adds to the wines’ complexity. The stony soil lends finesse and freshness to his wines, giving the reds greater aging potential than Syrah-based wines grown in other Languedoc soils. The proliferation of garrique certainly is reflected in the aromatics, where notes of laurel, thyme, rosemary, réglisse, and mint are present in the wines. Jean-Benoît is passionate about supporting the richness and diversity of this ecosystem, so the domaine’s conversion to organic viticulture was a logical choice.

There is a freshness and purity, finesse and complexity in the Lascaux wines that is rare in this wild landscape. The consistency of the winemaking, the quality of their wines, and great values they present make this domaine a treasure of the KLWM portfolio. According to KLWM salesperson, Mark Congero, they are “an absolute ‘go-to’ domaine in the Languedoc. Generous, friendly wines of excellent quality that offer great bang for your buck.”

Technical Information

Wine	Blend	Vine Age	Soil Type	Vineyard Area*
Languedoc Blanc	50% Vermentino, 20% Roussanne, 20% Marsanne, 10% Viognier	15 - 20 years	Clay and limestone on bedrock of marl and marly limestone	4.5 ha
Languedoc Blanc “Pierres d’Argent”	40% Roussanne, 40% Marsanne, 20% Vermentino	15 - 20 years	Clay and limestone on bedrock of marl and marly limestone	1.5 ha
Languedoc Rosé	40% Cinsault, 30% Syrah, 30% Grenache	5 - 10 years	Limestone	5 ha
Languedoc Rouge	60% Syrah 35% Grenache 5% Mourvèdre	10 - 20 years	Limestone	14 ha
Languedoc Rouge “La Grange de Lascaux”	60% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre	15-20 years	Limestone	15 ha
Languedoc Pic St-Loup Rouge "Carra"	60% Syrah, 40% Grenache	10 - 20 years	Fractured Limestone	14 ha
Languedoc Pic St-Loup Rouge “Les Nobles Pierres”	80% Syrah, 20% Grenache	25 - 35 years	Fractured Limestone	5 ha
Languedoc Pic St-Loup Rouge “Les Secrets”	80% Syrah, 20% Grenache	25 - 35 years	Clay and limestone on bedrock of marl and marly limestone	2 ha
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres

VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION

In 2001, the vignerons of Pic Saint Loup pleaded their case to the I.N.A.O., asking for the right to their own A.O.C. As of yet, the request is still pending, however in 2007, Pic Saint Loup was granted its own denomination within the A.O.C. Coteaux du Languedoc.

In 2007, all wines designated as A.O.C. Coteaux du Languedoc were changed to a new appellation, A.O.C. Languedoc. Growers have a period of time in which they must comply. Future vintages will thus read as A.O.C. Languedoc or A.O.C. Languedoc Pic Saint Loup.

• Grapes are de-stemmed in their entirety

Languedoc Blanc :

• Grapes are pressed after a short, cold maceration of the skins
• Racking of the must
• Ages in cuve for 7 months before bottling

Languedoc Blanc “Pierres d’Argent” :

• Grapes are pressed after a short, cold maceration of the skins
• Vinification in 1-3 year-old oak barrels

• Ages in barrel for 9 months, then for 3 months in cuve

Languedoc Rosé:

• Direct press

• Traditional vinification at low temperatures

• Wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation

• Ages in cuve for 7 months before bottling

Languedoc Rouge:

• Traditional vinification lasts for approximately three weeks

• Ages in cuve for 14 months before bottling

• Wine bottled unfiltered

Languedoc Rouge “La Grange de Lascaux”:
• Traditional vinification lasts for approximately three weeks
• Ages in cement cuve for 14 months before bottling
• Wine bottled unfiltered

Languedoc Pic St-Loup Rouge “Carra”:

• Traditional vinification lasts for approximately 30 days

• Gentle, regular punch-downs during maceration

• Ages in cuve for 14 months before bottling

• Wine bottled unfiltered

Languedoc Pic St-Loup Rouge“Les Nobles Pierres”:

• Traditional vinification lasts for approximately 30 days

• Ages in French oak barrel (of which only 15% are new) for 12 months, then in cuve for 6-9 months before bottling

• Wine bottled unfiltered

Languedoc Pic St-Loup Rouge“Les Secrets”:

• Syrah and Grenache are blended upon arrival at the winery immediately following the harvest

• Traditional vinification lasts for approximately 30 days

• Ages in French oak barrel (of which only 15% are new) for 12 months, then in cuve for 6-9 months before bottling