March 14th – Château de Lastours, an iconic estate in its region, is renowned for the quality of its wines, its tasting experiences and its wine tourism offer.
WHERE NATURE IS KING
Nestled amongst unspoilt nature in the heart of the Corbières Maritimes, Château de Lastours is an estate that protects and preserves the diversity of its natural environment.
THE CHALLENGES OF THE FUTURE
The climate in the Corbières terroir, and the whole of the south of France in general, is undergoing a profound transformation. With extremely low rainfall for the past two years, the terroir is enduring desert-like climate conditions, with serious consequences for the vines. The soils have dried out at depth, and the vines are suffering from hydric stress. These are extremely worrying issues for the region, not only in terms of the environment, but also with regards to employment, since viticulture is the main industry in Occitanie.
THE AMBITION OF A TRAILBLAZER
The team at Lastours is tackling today’s challenges head on, and is addressing the question of vineyard management and the nature of work in the vineyards of tomorrow with immense realism. Since a sustainable vineyard must be in harmony with its environment and in symbiosis with nature, a test zone in the heart of the estate has already been set up. In practise, it brings together complementary concepts from agroforestry and regenerative hydrology.
CHÂTEAU DE LASTOURS, A PROTAGONIST IN TOMORROW’S VINEYARDS
The estate is currently trialling an ambitious pilot project, which will be a springboard for tomorrow’s vineyard.
In a dedicated 6-hectare area in the heart of the estate, the layout of the vineyard has been completely redesigned, the aim being to combine the forces of agroforestry and regenerative hydrology. The idea is to build on the strengths of our terroir – its limestone clay soils, proximity to the sea and exposure to sea mists.
Several key positions were adopted:
- Much smaller parcels, with a totally revised layout to optimise water retention in the soils.
- Restructured soils, enriched with organic matter to better absorb and retain water.
- The planting of trees and other vegetation in the vines. These help restructure the soils and provide shade. Plants were carefully selected for their ability not only to live in harmony with the vines on this terroir, but also to capture the moisture in the air.
- Much research also went into the rootstock and varieties of grape to ensure the best results in terms of quality and yield.
With this innovative project, Château de Lastours is leading the way in creating the vineyard of the future. This experimental zone, which is the only one of its kind in the region, is a green oasis of natural vegetation and vines; a model that will be rolled out over the 100 hectares of the estate’s vines starting in 2025.
ABOUT CHATEAU DE LASTOURS
Château de Lastours is an estate of more than 850 hectares of rolling hills, of which 100 hectares are vines and 10 hectares are covered in olive trees. It is set in the terroir of the Corbières Maritimes at 300 m altitude and just 10 km from the Mediterranean. Certified organic since 2020, it is one of the pioneers of the region.
From the architecture and equipment in the cellar to innovative farming methods, every detail has been carefully designed to enable the estate to produce exceptional wines. These regularly gain awards in major national and international wine competitions, strengthening the desire to go ever further and share the best of this great terroir.
These iconic Corbières wines from Château de Lastours express the excellence of the terroir and ancestral viticultural know-how. Grape varieties perfectly adapted to the soils, supported by rigorous parcel selection and meticulous attention during winemaking result in magnificent, expressive wines of great character. The Château de Lastours Grande Réserve is the perfect ambassador of the values of precision and high standards upheld by our devoted teams.
