Château Cazal Viel 1996 - 30 years on

Laurent Miquel returned to his family domaine at Cazal Viel in 1996 to work with his father Henri and shortly afterwards became the chief winemaker, the 8th generation of his family to produce wines at the estate.

2026 marks 30 years of Laurent at the helm and with Neasa (his Irish wife) at his side, they continue in their mission to create elegant, fresh wines from their unique Languedoc estates. We harness the expertise of our ancestors by honouring the traditions of the past, while working to innovate and improve in our vision for the future.

Henri Miquel, Laurent's father and the 7th generation, is known for his obsession with the Syrah grape, to such an extent that he became known as "Monsieur Syrah" to the locals. By planting Syrah on the hillsides on poor soils, and reducing yields, he produced quality wines with finesse that proved the high potential of this stellar varietal. Henri was also a key figure in the establishment of the St-Chinian AOC in 1982, which recognised the potential for quality reds from this sub-region where Château Cazal Viel is based.

In 1992, the Miquel family were the first to plant Viognier in the Languedoc, having recognised that this grape grows well in similar terroir to Syrah. Laurent mastered this often finicky grape, achieving a freshness and elegance that is rare from Viognier. His innovative approach in the vineyards - north-south planting, a focus on healthy soil and introduction of harvesting by night - has seen him recognised as one of the top producers of white wines in the Languedoc. Pursuing his vision of eleganct and fresh white wines, Laurent turned his attention to the Albarino grape, more often associated with northwest Spain. The micro-climate in St-Chinian was too warm and dry for this cool-climate-loving varietal, but when Laurent discovered Château Auzines, a wild estate situated high up in the foothills of the Pyrenees in the Corbières region, he knew he'd found the perfect place. The combination of high altitude (averaging 350m), constant breezes from the mountains, and morning humidity create the ideal growing conditions for Albarino and in 2009 Laurent planted 29 hectares of the grape, naming the wine after the local medieval village of Lagrasse. The rest is history. The range has since expanded to include Côte 238 Albarino, Pech Gentille - a single site expression of Albarino, aged on its lees in concrete vats.

Over the festive period, we marked the beginning of Laurent's 30th year with a family dinner, where we enjoyed a 1996 Château Cazal Viel, St-Chinian by Henri Miquel, from our cellar. The wine had a seductive bouquet of tobacco, coffee and truffles and a velvety structure, with dried baked fruits on the palate and a lingering, savoury touch. Tasting a moment in time gave us an opportunity to reflect on what came before, where we are now and our excitement for what comes next. We hope you stay with us on our journey!

Bonne Année à tous!

Laurent & Neasa

Laurent opens 1996 Chateau Cazal Viel as his mother looks on!