Famille Fabre

France
Languedoc-Roussillon
famillefabre.com

Famille Fabre : the oldest winemaking family in Languedoc

The Fabre family has been settled in Languedoc for generations. The love of the vineyard is a legacy that has endured since the 17th century. Since 1605, the family’s ancestors have laid the solid foundations of a family winemaking history that is both independent and enduring. Passion and precise know-how are still passed down from generation to generation today. Louis Fabre has been the conductor and emblematic figure of their Languedoc estates since 1982. A great lover of nature, he converted the entire vineyard to organic farming to obtain Ecocert certification in 1992, and then HVE (High Environmental Value) level 3 certification in 2014. Today, all of their wines are certified organic, with most undergoing natural vinification without added sulfur. Now accompanied by his daughters Clémence and Jeanne, and their cousin Paule, Louis continues to perpetuate the heritage received from the family legacy.

They have five estates to their credit, allowing for the production of a diverse range of wines, reflecting the beautiful region of Languedoc:

– Château de Luc, located in the heart of Cathar country, mainly produces wines under IGP Pays d’Oc and AOC Corbières. The vineyard is planted on rocky terraces and windy slopes of the Alaric, part of the Pyrenees. This is where Louis and his wife settled, and it is at this estate that the family welcomes wine tourists in search of discoveries.
– Château Coulon, also producing AOC Corbières, is a domain where the family has always protected nature in its purest form amidst a vineyard that is ahead of its time regarding organic certifications. It enjoys a mild climate where vines have flourished for over 2000 years, on soils of rolled pebbles and clay-limestone.
– La Tour de Rieux marks the beginning of their adventure in Minervois. The vineyard is nestled in a paradise of scrubland and pine forest. A preferred terroir for cinsault, grenache, and syrah, these grape varieties find the altitude necessary for their perfect development, benefiting from the protection of the winds by the Black Mountain and higher rainfall than in Corbières.
– La Grande Courtade, a south-facing estate, benefits from the varied soils of a medieval drained pond, where a wide range of grape varieties are cultivated; sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, alicante-bouschet, côt (malbec), and alvarinho, producing wines of pleasure. The grapes are vinified in tanks built by their ancestors.
– Château Fabre-Gasparets, where the vines are mostly planted with carignan and mourvèdre. The oldest vine is an old grenache planted in 1932. This terroir is part of the most beautiful of Corbières. With its ability to produce great wines, it became the first cru of the appellation in 2005: the Boutenac cru. The castle is located in one of the 10 communes that form the golden triangle of Boutenac.
Each château, with its identity, offers a unique expression that the family strives to render through the excellence of their winemaking work. Parcel selection as well as a true mastery of cultivation, vinification, and aging techniques are applied.

Beyond the blood ties that bind them, they share a common vision that is paramount in the development of their vineyard, which aims to be sustainable, respecting nature, and where humans are present at every step, every moment. A family that has not finished delighting and surprising us!