Domaine La Grange des Pères

This dazzling success story began in 1992. Laurent Vallié, who had been in the region since 1963, took over the family business in 1992 after gaining valuable experience working with some of the greats, such as Eloi Dürrbach at the Trevallon estate, Jean-Louis Chave in Cornas, and Jean-François Coche-Dury in Burgundy. Under his leadership, the family estate expanded to 11 hectares of the best terroirs, with choices in the vineyard and cellar following the philosophy of biodynamics: working the soil without chemicals, single-vineyard vinification, and long aging in barrels (24 months). Success was apparent from the very first vintage, and Laurent Vallié's talent was immediately recognized. The destiny of La Grange des Pères was set! The greatest concern for serious wine lovers today is being able to find these great bottles, which are on a par with Romanée-Conti or Pétrus. 

On exceptional high-altitude terroir in the Arboussas massif, the La Grange des Pères vineyards are planted with Syrah and Mourvèdre, complemented by Cabernet Sauvignon and Counoise for the red wines, and Roussanne, Marsanne, Chardonnay, and Gros Manseng for the white wines. With the Pays de l'Hérault IGP appellation, Laurent Vallié's wines contribute to the reputation of the region, where great estates such as Le Mas Daumas Gassac and La Terrasse d'Elise have revealed the potential of this terroir.

The Domaine de la Grange des Pères was founded over thirty years ago when Laurent Vallié took over his father's farm. This land, located in Aniane in the Hérault region, underwent a complete transformation when Laurent decided to grow vines instead of cereals, as his father had done. The Grange des Pères estate was born. The new owner of the wine estate proved to be a prodigy of oenology, as his first vintage of red wine was awarded a prize by Robert Parker. Today, Laurent Vallié still works alongside his father.

The red wine from Grange des Pères is a clever blend of five grape varieties: Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon, Counoise, and Petit Verdot. The blend of grape varieties offers full-bodied notes on the palate, such as marine notes, olives, grilled meat, and spicy ripe fruit.

For the white Grange des Pères wine, Roussanne and Marsanne blend with Gros Manseng and Chardonnay. While it shares the spicy notes of the red version, the white version is sweeter with notes of honey, very ripe yellow fruits, and sometimes currants. On the palate, you can taste the power of wax.

Like all wines, with weather conditions that cannot be predicted in advance, the vintages of La Grange des Pères follow one another but are not alike. To enjoy a good bottle from this estate while staying within a reasonable budget (the 1992 vintage sells for a fortune), the 1998 and 2009 vintages offer excellent tasting experiences. But if you want an exceptional experience, the ideal choice is the 2014 vintage.

La Grange des Pères red wine pairs perfectly with dishes that have character. It goes just as well with a rib of beef as it does with a leg of venison in a porcini mushroom sauce. It can be served with seafood dishes or poultry such as duck.

A bottle of Domaine de la Grange des Pères white wine, meanwhile, pairs beautifully with seafood, including both fish and shellfish. How about sea bream? Or scorpion fish?