Domaine des Chênes
| Vigneron | Alain Razungles |
| Location | Vingrau (Pyrénées-Orientales) |
| Size of Domaine | 30 ha |
| Terroir | Mediterranean climate. Rocky clay-limestone soils. 120-350m altitude. |
| Viticulture | Lutte raisonnée |
| View Domaine des Chênes wines ↓ |
Domaine des Chênes, owned by the Razungles family for nearly a century, is now run by Alain Razungles, professor of oenology at the Montpellier University.
The domaine had sold grapes to the négoce for many years, but in 1985, aware of the potential of the local terroir, Alain convinced his parents and uncle to restore the old cellar and start bottling their own wines.
The domaine’s vines are planted in the ‘cirque de Vingrau’, a breathtakingly beautiful valley surrounded by high limestone cliffs, at the northern border of Roussillon. Located next to a prehistoric settlement where fossilised remains ('L'Homme de Tautavel') were found, the windy valley is now an oasis of vines lost in a mineral ocean where garrigue, pine and oak trees (chênes) prosper.
Soils are ploughed and grapes are harvested by hand, yields are low with many vines over 50yo which contributes to the muscat’s concentration and complexity.
Domaine des Chênes Wines
Domaine des Chênes
Made by Alain Razungles, professor of oenology at Montpellier University, this is unquestionably one of France’s finest muscats. It comes from the village of Vingrau, a superb terroir, has a sumptuous concentration, a floral bouquet (jasmine) and a clean, controlled palate smacking of lexia raisins.