Domaine de l'Ostal

For many years, Jean-Michel Cazes, owner of Château Lynch-Bages in Pauillac, traveled the roads of Languedoc in search of great terroirs. One day, he discovered La Livinière, a village at the foot of the Montagne Noire, the cradle of the Minervois’ finest vineyards. In 2002, he purchased two neighboring properties there to create a 150-hectare estate, comprising 60 hectares of vineyards and 25 hectares of olive groves. Together with his son Jean-Charles, they chose a name rich in meaning and history: “l’ostal,” which in the ancient Occitan language refers both to the house and to the family group that lives there. Domaine L’Ostal Cazes was born… Immediately, under the direction of Fabrice Darmaillacq and Daniel Llose, the technical teams undertook a complete restructuring of the vineyard: large-scale grubbing-up, replanting of grape varieties, soil drainage, and more. This comprehensive approach aimed to bring out the full potential of the terroir and the Languedoc’s greatest grape varieties: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Carignan. In 2003, the Cazes family purchased the Saint-Joseph tile factory, a magnificent 19th-century building, to house the estate’s technical facilities. The first bottlings took place in 2004 (L’Ostal Cazes Grand Vin) and in 2005 (L’Ostal Cazes Estibals).