Clos Bagatelle

The Producer

In 1963, the mother of the current owners inherited the estate and set about continuing the work of her ancestors. She was the first to expand the land of Le Clos, developing the estate on a Muscat terroir. The estate is now run by her children Christine and Luc. Together they manage the property bequeathed by their mother, dividing the tasks between them. The brother takes care of the vineyard and the sister markets the estate's wines.

Heirs to a long winemaking tradition, they run the property with all the rigor necessary to produce exceptional wines. The team knows each plot perfectly and adapts the care to the needs of each. The work in the vineyard is carried out according to the rules of the art, giving priority to organic treatments and the harvest is done largely by hand.

The grape varieties are varied to promote a great aromatic richness. In the cellar, the team has state-of-the-art facilities renovated in 2011, combining century-old tuns with the most modern equipment. Thus, the rosés and whites benefit from vinification in barrels and the reds are refined at length.

Clos Bagatelle wines have excellent aging potential and the estate has an underground aging cellar in which a vinothèque has been created to preserve old vintages.

The four terroirs of Clos Bagatelle

The estate extends over singular lands, offering a unique geological heritage to the vineyard. Thus the property is composed of four distinct terroirs, each with its own particular characteristics.

The Donnadieu terroir extends on the heights near the hamlet of the same name. It is surrounded by oaks, pines, arbutus and rockrose. The soil is essentially composed of schist, these laminated rocks that retain the heat of the day and then release it at night. This typically Mediterranean environment yields a wine that is both exuberant and delicate, the Bagatelle Donnadieu Trails. This is a shale wine with a fresh and complex nose, with an aromatic bouquet blending raspberry, peony, bigarreau, plum, eucalyptus and peppery notes.

The Assignan terroir is located on the heights and terraces facing South, South West and South East host the vines. They thus benefit from the winds and the sunshine necessary for their development. The sandstone soil produces elegant red wines and white wines with a great minerality. This terroir has the particularity of hosting five different grape varieties on the same plots. Three cuvées are produced from these parcels, Sentiers de Bagatelle is indeed declined in the three colors. The white is fresh, offering aromas of citrus, white peach and kumquat. The rosé is very balanced, with a blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Carignan. Colline d'Assignan is an expressive red with a light intensity. Blueberry and cherry aromas mingle with peppery notes.

The Saint-Jean-de-Minervois terroir is the highest in Clos Bagatelle, at 300 meters above sea level. Its soils are poor and receive a lot of sun, so they yield grapes with a rich aromatic bouquet.
Three vintages are made from these parcels:
- Bagatelle, a natural sweet wine made from a single grape variety, Muscat Petit Grain.
- Grain de Lumière, a fresh and mineral Muscat, expressing all the typicity of its terroir
- La divine, a sweet muscat in Vin de Pays appellation.

The terroir of Les Lauzes is a natural enclosure, it stretches in the hollow of the valley and is delimited by pines, oaks and low walls at the western and eastern ends, while it lets the winds pass through to the south and north. It provides the vines with extremely favorable weather conditions, which produce wines that are both smooth and intense. From this terroir, the estate produces three cuvées : At the origin comes in red and rosé and Veillée d'automne is a complex and invigorating red, with intense aromas of blackcurrant, mocha and burlat cherry, with peppery notes.

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