Chateau Saint-Roch

 


Along with parts of Provence, Roussillon has some of the oldest planted vineyards in France. The Roussillon was acquired from Spain in the midseventeenth century. Languedoc and Roussillon were joined as one administrative region in the late 1980s. The region shares many terrain and climate characteristics with the neighboring regions of Southern Rhône and Provence. Varietal focus at Saint-Roch is Grenache and Syrah.

Near the southern border of Spain, the town of Maury is in the department of Pyrénées-Orientales of the French region Languedoc-Roussillon. The Lafage family has been growing grapes and making wines in the Roussillon since 1798. Jean-Marc Lafage was raised in the village of Maury, where Château Saint-Roch is located. He made his first wines in Maury as a teenager under the guidance of his grandfather.

After graduating with a degree in enology, Jean–Marc left the Roussillon and worked in South America, California, South Africa & Australia. In the late 1990’s, Jean-Marc returned to Europe finding work as a consultant in Spain. In 2001, he took over his family’s estate in the Roussillon.

Returning to his roots, Jean-Marc purchased Château Saint-Roch in Maury in 2005. Situated in the Agly Valley in Roussillon, Château Saint-Roch has 109 acres of vines, some of which are more than 50 years old. In the decade proceeding the purchase, Jean-Marc restored and rejuvenated the cellars and the vineyards. Using the existing historical buildings, he constructed a modern winery with new stainless steel fermenters and wines are now fermented and aged on site.

Located between two mountains, there are strong winds that move across the vineyards. As expressed by the artwork on the label, the vines are affected by this environment. They are bush-vine planted, and grow close to the ground. Also on the label is the 11th-century castle, Chateau de Queribus high on the mountaintop, overlooking the vineyards of Chateau Saint-Roch.