Wine estate LE CLOS DES SUDS

You are welcome at the estate any day by appointment.

The hamlet of La Roueyre : an individual geographic location.

Historically, during Napoleon III's reign, the bishop of Narbonne would have used his influence to keep this hamlet in the Aude, because very good quality honey was produced here. This would explain the unusual division of the departmental land at this spot. The hamlet of La Roueyre, as well as its access road to the village of Bize, is effectively in Aude today, but almost entirely enclosed in the Hérault department.

Salamander, lizard or gecko ?

On the labels of the wine bottles of Le Clos des Suds, one can recognise the shape of a lizard, gecko or salamander as a watermark: these three animals having something in common, in that they are commonly found in the area of the hamlet of La Roueyre.

As far as the salamander is concerned, of which one species has proved itself equipped with particularly successful regenerative faculties, there is a tradition in medieval Europe to portray it as the product of fire. It is similar to the phoenix, the mythical bird, which was reborn from the ashes.

Regeneration by returning to roots.

Pierre Aliste, wine maker, oenologist and owner of the estate, grew up in Cazelles, very near to La Roueyre. Initially, he worked as an industrial draughtsman for ten years in the Rhône valley, before deciding to return to the land of his ancestors.

Thanks to training (BTS Agricole) in vine growing and oenology, accompanied by experience of wine making in different estates in the area, as well as at the wine co-operative at Puisserguier, Pierre Aliste could return to the countryside, and start a family there. Aurée Tautil, his partner, is involved in the running of the vineyard, as well as the life of the local village, particularly Petit à petit...

A wine developed in the hamlet: 20, 000 bottles per year.

The first blend named "Clos des Suds" dates from 2005, with the traditional grapes used in the Languedoc: Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache and Alicante.

Pierre Aliste first worked on some of the plots of the Stuart estate (the Bonnelli wines). From March 2008, the plots of the "Clos des Suds" have been planted on the Cazelles plateau, by the side of the Saint Jean de Minervois plateau, over an area of 5 hectares. From small yields, in the order of 30 hectolitres per hectare, around 20,000 bottles are produced per year. The development of a wine-making cellar is work in progress, at a place called Les Caves, a few hundred metres below the hamlet of La Roueyre.

The marketing of the estate wines started in 2007.

In reality, marketing activity is principally in export: 80% of the production is sent to Belgium, Holland and Canada.
At the regional level, two cellars in Beziers and Toulouse sell the wines of Le Clos des Suds.
In the village of Bize, two blends of red and rosé from "Clos des Suds" are sold by Marie Binisti.
A red wine « Clos des Suds » appears on the wine list of L'Olivier in Cabezac.

Last Updated (Thursday, 09 September 2010 09:19)