LAROCHE

REGION: Languedoc

"A Maverick Spirit and Dynamic Traditionalist with an Open Mind"

Michel Laroche is the most dynamic producer in Chablis and a comparatively rare beast in France: a traditionalist with an open mind. He is intensely proud of his roots in the Yonne, Burgundy, and of the unique qualities of Chablis, but he is also a businessman in search of new opportunities. It was his maverick spirit that took him to the Languedoc in the 1980s when southern French Chardonnay was a joke in Burgundian circles. Laroche wanted to escape the proscriptions of the appellation contrôlée system, and work in a large region where he could "cherry pick from the best vineyards".

In 1995, Laroche bought Mas La Chevalière, just outside Béziers, planted 45 hectares of prime vineyards and installed his own modern winery. The Languedoc is now the largest wine-making region in the world (three times the size of Bordeaux's vineyard and twice the size of Australia's). The diversity of the soil, climate and grape varieties in the region allow Laroche to produce a wide selection of premium wines. The wines are beautifully packaged and deliberately designed to appeal to today's modern wine drinker.

Michel Laroche

Michel Laroche is the fifth generation of a family that has been making award-winning wines in Chablis since 1850. He believes passionately that the best wine can only be made using the finest grapes. He works in tune with nature, encouraging low yields and natural ecology to produce ripe fruit, typical of its vineyard origin. The gentlest possible methods are used in the winery to protect this natural character. Each is a pure expression of its specific vineyard area and each is outstanding value.