Winery Overview
Domaine de Castelnau is in the heart of the Hérault valley, and its origins date back to the 13th Century when it was the property of the Seigneurs (Lords) de Guers. Situated between Béziers and Montpellier, Castelnau-de-Guers is one of six communes that make up the Picpoul de Pinet appellation. This Côteaux du Languedoc sub-region is dedicated entirely to white wine made from the Picpoul grape. Now owned by Christophe Muret since 1997, Domaine de Castelnau is one of only 20 independent domaines in the appellation, as cooperative wineries account for nearly 80% of Picpoul de Pinet production. About 32 of the domaine’s 240 acres are planted to Piquepoul, a variety that has been growing near the Mediterranean’s Thau Basin for centuries. Castelnau is in the northern zone of the appellation which is warmer and more humid. Vines are interspersed with garrigue and pine trees and grow on cretaceous limestone mixed with clay marls. The southern zone is a sandy, gravel-covered plain with uniform rows of well-exposed vines that tilt down to the Mediterranean’s Thau Basin. This natural lagoon is one of the finest sources for shellfish in southern France and particularly renown for commercial cultivation of oysters. Languedoc locals and tourists agree that the citrus and mineral characteristics of well-made Picpoul de Pinet make it the perfect accompaniment to les Huîtres de Bouzigues, the basin’s famous shellfish. The rich marine fauna and flora of L’Etang de Thau also make it a desirable habitat for migrating birds including grey herons and pink flamingos, the latter adorning the label of Domaine de Castelnau’s Cuvée L’Etang. The Castelnau estate has been making its wines on the property since the 1998 vintage. Their goal is to guide the transformation of grapes into wine with the least possible intervention and thus best promote the diversity of wines from the different plots of the vineyard. The aging of the wines is monitored by an oenologist, François Prinsloo. The winemaking philosophy combines modern innovative processes while respecting traditional winemaking principles of the region.