?Roussillon's Maison Cazes buys vineyard in Maury

By Gemma McKenna

Published: 09 July, 2014

Maison Cazes, the Rivesaltes-based producer, has expanded its Roussillon holdings by buying a new vineyard in Maury.

The new site, located on the road to Quéribus Cathare castle, is south-facing and has an altitude of 200 metres. The vineyard is planted with Grenache Noir vines, which are 50-years old on average, on brown-schist soils.

Maison Cazes Maison Cazes expands its Roussillon holdingsThe new site, located on the road to Quéribus Cathare castle is south-facing and has an altitude of 200 metres. The vineyard is planted with Grenache Noir vines, which are 50-years old on average, on brown-schist soils.

The family-owned firm says the purchase reflects its commitment to the Roussillon region. It already owns vineyards in Rivesaltes, Collioure, Banyuls, Latour de France and Fitou.

Cazes said production from this vineyard will go into its 2014 Castell d'Agly wine from Maury Sec. It has produced this wine in partnership with Mas de Lavail in Maury, a family-run winery which Cazes has worked with since 2004.

Cazes was founded in 1895 by Michel Cazes, and is now run by family member and winemaker Emmanuel Cazes and general manager Lionel Lavail. The firm has an annual turnover of around 4.5 million euros and sells more than 1.2 million bottles per year, in France and overseas. It has over 220 ha of vineyards, including vines across the border in Catalunya in northern Spain. It produces 13 different wines per year. Thanks to the array of grapes and terrains it owns, the company's harvest programme begins in mid-August and lasts until mid-October.

The Languedoc-Roussillon had a late harvest in 2013, but produced volumes increased to 13.5 million hl. The area has around 283,000 hectares under vines and is the single biggest wine-producing region in the world. As such it is responsible for over one third of France's total wine production.

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