Laurent Miquel 

I originally qualified as a mechanical engineer specialised in quality control from a Grande école near Paris, with a masters in quality management from Leeds University.
I subsequently worked for Nissan Europe in Tyneside.

Inspired by my father's passion for winemaking, I made the decision to return to the wine business and enrolled in the University of Montpellier to study oenology. I worked for a local négociant for a time before taking the leap to starting my own business in 1996.
 
 I was born and raised in a region where most families possesses a vineyard or two. Historically, Languedoc was known for churning out the high volume, low quality wines that fuelled the working population of France for over 100 years. This industry made the fortune of the region and there are still remnants of the 'pile em high' attitude amongst local winemakers.

 If there's is one thing I learnt from my father, its the passion and commitment that are required to make wines that are out of the ordinary, like those of Cazal Viel. Wines that surprise and delight those who taste them for the first time and develop a loyal following amongst our clients. Like me, my father began his career in another area (he studied law) and this experience helped him to look beyond the local preconceptions and assumptions about the potential of the Languedoc for making great wines.

Now that this potential is increasingly recognised both at home and internationally, I am determined to build on my father's success in producing unique wines. I respect the age-old notion of terroir that governs so much of what happens in the vineyard here (Terroir is the combination of soil and microclimate that give a particularity to wines from a certain region). My job allows me to work with wines from many different terroirs the differences between terroirs (often subtle but sometimes great) are very exciting.

I am fortunate to have learnt with some of the great experts of winemaking in the region who, like my father, have participated in the revolution here over the last 25 years. They provide me with support and advice as well as information and knowledge gained from years of experience in quality improvement.