Château des Deux Rocs

Jean-Claude Zabalia, one of the Languedoc’s most talented vignerons, spent over twenty years at Saint Martin de la Garrigue before striking out on his own to start Château des Deux Rocs. Like any new venture undertaken by a seasoned veteran, Jean-Claude did his homework. In his many searches for great terroir in the Languedoc, he came across Cabrières—an area already known for producing outstanding rosé, but what he found was so much more.

The vines of Jean-Claude’s new domaine, Château des Deux Rocs, are located in the isolated Vallée des Crozes. This enclosed valley is protected from the dominating winds of the region and benefits from more than 220 days of sun per year. His vines are planted at nearly 1000 feet above sea level in deep schist soils, higher than anyone in the region has planted before. These elements lend a delicate and finessed nature to both the rosé and red.

Our bottlings from Deux Rocs are aptly named “Prémices,” meaning a sign of things to come—we certainly believe that great things are to come from this exciting new domaine.

Technical Information

Wine	Blend	Vine Age	Soil Type	Vineyard Area*
Languedoc Cabrières Rosé “Prémices”	60% Cinsault, 25% Syrah, 15% Grenache Noir	35 years average	Schist	3.5 ha
Languedoc Cabrières Rouge “Prémices”	60% Syrah, 40% Grenache Noir	40 years average	Schist	6.5 ha
Languedoc Cabrières Rouge “Les Crozes”	60% Syrah, 40% Grenache Noir	30 years average	Schist	3.5 ha
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres

VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION

• Vines are located between 250 and 400 meters above sea level, on terraces in the Vallée des Crozes
• The exposition of the vineyards is south, south-west

Languedoc Cabrières Rosé “Prémices”:
• Hand harvested
• Indigenous yeast used for fermentation
• Grape varieties are vinified separately
• Grapes are de-stemmed
• Wine made from direct press
• Fermentation lasts 15 to 18 days in stainless steel tanks
• No malolactic fermentation
• Wine is blended and aged in stainless steel tank
• Wine is aged on fine lees for three months
• Blends will vary slightly each vintage

Languedoc Cabrières Rouge “Prémices”:
• Hand harvested
• Indigenous yeast used for fermentation
• Grape varieties are vinified separately
• Fermentation lasts on average 20 days in stainless steel tanks
• Délestage and pumpovers during fermentation as needed (determined by tasting the tank twice a day)
• Malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tank, then wine is blended
• Wine is aged in stainless steel for 6 months with regular racking
• Not filtered nor fined
• Blends will vary slightly each vintage

Languedoc Cabrières Rouge “Les Crozes”:
• Hand harvested
• Indigenous yeast used for fermentation
• Grape varieties are vinified separately
• Fermentation lasts on average 20 days in stainless steel and fiberglass lined tanks
• Daily pumpovers during fermentation as needed (determined by tasting the tank twice a day)
• Délestage two or three times during primary fermentation
• Malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tank, then wine is blended
• Wine is aged in 22 hl foudre and 225 L barriques (4 to 7 passages) for a duration of 12 months
• Not filtered nor fined
• “Les Crozes” is the name of the hamlet where the vines are planted. It means “crossing” or “crossroads" in Occitan