Domaine de Cébène, Faugères, France

Domaine de Cébène

Domaine de Cébène is an 11-hectare estate in the Languedoc, founded by the winemaker Brigitte Chevalier. In 2007, after a career in wine export sales, she bought some old vines planted at 300 metres on the schist rock of the Faugères appellation area. Her organic, terroir-driven wines made from these north-facing vineyards have been widely and positively reviewed, and today they are a sought-after reference. 

In 2013 Brigitte launched Parrainez un Cep (Adopt a Vine), a project encouraging wine lovers to sponsor some of Domaine de Cébène's oldest vines and thus contribute to the preservation of this natural heritage while raising awareness and promoting its value within the environmental and ecological context. In the same year she was awarded the Vincoeurs prize by the Département de l'Hérault, in recognition of the ambitious and innovative nature of the project. 

Brigitte's ancient Carignan vines have adapted remarkably well to the changing climate of the south of France, and bear witness to the efforts of the generations of growers who have tended them over the 60+ years since they were planted. They are used to create Belle Lurette (meaning 'many moons ago'), a wine which ably demonstrates the important role that older vines can play in winemaking today.