TERROIR AND GRAPES

A UNIQUE TERROIR

Chateau Estanilles is anchored on some of the oldest soils in the world, which underwent extreme compression events in the primary era during thegeological era of the Ordovician era, more than 500 million years ago. 

Located on the town of Cabrerolles and more precisely on the place lieu-dit-Lenthéric, in the hilly part of the appellation Faugères, the estate extends over 40 hectares divided into 35 singular parcels which have all their unique properties made, of a particular soil, an exhibition of its own, of an age of the vine, of the type of vine, of its clone, of its rootstock, gives this diversity to each plot which in turn forges the identity of the wines of the estate.   

An exceptional wealth

To this richness is added the singular and unique particularities of its soil, its high density of sandstone schist, its draining soils, its climate and its remoteness from urban areas shape the identity, the richness and the complexity of the wines elaborated by the Château Estanilles. These grey, blue, yellow or ochre shales were formed from the clay of marine deposits. Their aridity forces the vine to draw the water reserves deep in the basement by crossing the strata through their interstices, making it little sensitive to the water stress of the dry seasons.

Other elements of excellence, the strong presence of shale strengthens the sensation of freshness; poor and well-drained soils promote the concentration of aromas and limit production, one of the factors known to claim the breeding of great wines. Finally, the acidic soils give wines that are slightly acidic, marked by a good PH, guaranteeing longevity and finesse. All these other factors are decisive for the complexity and conservation of the aromatic and taste freshness of the wines of Château Estanilles.

The preserved environment, open to the winds of the north as well as those of the coastline, makes it possible to attenuate the heat during the maturation of the grape berries. It is a decisive factor for the preservation of the aromatic and taste freshness of the wines. The composition of the soil and the management of the vine in biodynamics are also essential factors.

This terroir is located north of the department of Hérault is backed by the first foothills of the black mountain, between the valley of the Orb and the plain of Béziers.

The Faugères appellation, located 25 km north of Béziers, is backed by the first foothills of the Black Mountain, between the Orb valley and the Béziers plain. It is delimited by its homogeneous soil and, by this fact, not extensible