La Clape,
a place of exception
The Château Mire l'Etang is located in a privileged environment, with a wine-growing tradition that goes back two thousand years.
The colonization of the Narbonne region and its coastline by the Romans began in the 1st century BC. Highly prized because of its location at the crossroads of Europe, at the foot of a rocky massif and very close to a waterway leading to the Atlantic, our land was exploited from the very beginning of the Roman conquest to grow vines, olive trees and cereals.
A unique terroir in Languedoc
Dating from the creation of the Pyrenean chain, the Clape limestone massif takes its name from the Occitan “Clapas”, translated as ‘heap of pebbles’. Karstic in nature - meaning that water has formed numerous cavities - the Clape massif has long remained an island between sea and ponds, and many seashells’ fossils can still be found in the area.
Spread out on terraces facing the Mediterranean Sea and surrounded by overgrown garrigue, our vines are planted on very stony soils, facilitating water infiltration and deep root development.
The proximity of the sea and its iodized spray give our grapes and wines plenty of freshness and minerality, especially the whites and rosés. The typical vegetation of our garrigues, such as thyme, rosemary and cysts, give our red wines plenty of character.
Respect
for life
We have been involved in sustainable agriculture since 2003 and are a member of the TERRA VITIS label.
for life
Right in the heart of a protected site, in a Natura 2000 zone and within the Narbonnaise Regional Nature Park, respect for living organisms and the environment is one of our priorities.
We have always strived to limit our impact on biodiversity, whether by eliminating certain techniques and inputs, creating infrastructures such as a retention basin for cellar effluent, maintaining paths, tracks and low dry-stone walls, planting isolated trees and hedges or making land available to local beekeepers and livestock farmers.
A collective
approach
To go further in the general improvement of our practices while helping our industry to progress.
With the main aim of reducing the use of phytopharmaceutical inputs, we joined the DEPHY network in 2008. Following on from the Grenelle Environment Forum, this working group, led by the Aude Chamber of Agriculture, became part of the national ‘ECO-PHYTO 2018’ plan in 2010. By becoming one of the 8 pilot winegrowers in our department, we have been able to take part in many trials and experiments which, we are convinced, will lead to changes in our sector's practices.
MANUAL TYING OF YOUNG VINE PLANTS TO THE ‘SUPPORTING’ WIRE.
This is painstaking work, which is extremely important for the formation of the vine. We use fiberglass stakes, which are rot-proof, flexible and unbreakable, so that we can re-use them.
As part of the implementation of agro-environmental measures, we have also completely eliminated the use of herbicides on 90% of our vineyards and partially eliminated it on the remaining 10%, due to a lack of alternatives. To compensate for the absence of these products, we carry out mechanical weeding using interceps equipment or manual weeding using a traditional tool called a ‘rabassier’.
MECHANICAL HARVESTING
This allows us to pick at optimum maturity, while remaining highly responsive to weather conditions. The latest generation sorting table on board the machine guarantees the integrity of the berries, a healthy harvest and no plant debris.
BourboulencGrenacheMourvèdreCinsaultSyrah
Choosing to plant a grape variety is a long-term decision, based on the characteristics of the soil and microclimate of the plot, the specifications of the appellation and the profile of the wine you want to produce.
Completely restructured since the purchase of the estate in 1972, the vineyards of Château Mire l'Etang now cover just over 50 hectares and 45 plots. The entire vineyard is in the immediate surroundings of the château, and two-thirds of the vines are irrigated by underground drip irrigation, which limits water loss through evaporation and encourages the vines to root deeply.
Our white wines are mainly made from Roussanne, Grenache blanc and Bourboulenc.
For rosés, we grow mainly Grenache Noir, Cinsault and Syrah.
As for our red wines, our terroir is home to Syrah, Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre and, for the last few years, Cinsault.
BOURBOULENC
A rustic and atypical grape variety, Bourboulenc is the pride of the La Clape winegrowers and the main reason for the reputation of our white wines, renowned for their freshness and minerality.
SYRAH
As the only northern grape variety in our vineyards, Syrah is an essential ingredient in our rosés and adds depth and complexity to our top-of-the-range reds.
