Syrah - a wine for the ages

For eight generations, the Miquel family has been working the land around Château Cazal Viel in the Languedoc region of the south of France. Our approach is based on the Japanese philosophy of "Kaizen", blending tradition and innovation to constantly improve on what went before, to create wines that express both the character of our land and the story of our family.

It was Laurent’s father, Henri Miquel — affectionately known in our village as Monsieur Syrah — who first understood the Syrah grape’s true potential. The limestone-rich slopes above Cazal Viel provided cooler conditions allowing Syrah to ripen slowly, gaining finesse, balance, and complexity. Henri's vision laid the foundation for what has become the hallmark of our wines today: Syrah with elegance and finesse, developing layers of freshness, spice, and structure that show the quality potential of our region.

Old Vines, Low Yields

Château Cazal Viel has many old Syrah vines. These vines are low-yielding, with some only producing one or two bunches every year. These low yielding vines produce grapes of intensity and concentration, and wines with great ageing potential.

Larmes des Fées is the estate’s flagship cuvée, produced only in the finest vintages from old vines, some over 65 years old. Their deep roots and low yields give fruit of remarkable intensity, which, after 18 months in new French oak, becomes a wine of extraordinary depth and longevity. It is Syrah at its most expressive and age-worthy. The name means "Fairies' Tears" and refers to an old legend telling of a group of washer-women who would gather at the local stream, where the fairies lived, to wash clothes. When they argued amongst themselves, the fairies would cry.

Bardou, a blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache is named after the hillside parcel 'Bardou', that lies just above Château Cazal Viel. Henri gifted this plot of 35-40 year old vines to Laurent in 1996 when he joined the family estate. 45% of this wine is aged in new French oak barrels, with the rest aged in stainless steel - the result is a wine of balance, with dark fruit and spice framed by Laurent's signature freshness.

Bardou vines - The harvested grapes - Syrah must

Precision & Restraint

All of our vineyards are harvested at night, when the fruit is cool and the aromas are at their most vibrant. This gentle approach safeguards natural acidity and freshness — the cornerstones of the wines of Laurent Miquel.

From vineyard to winery, the process is deliberately careful. Grapes are destemmed and lightly crushed before fermenting in temperature-controlled vats, with gentle pump-overs to achieve structure without harshness. After fermentation, the wines are tasted and re-tasted, with only the best plots chosen for ageing in new French oak. Others rest in neutral vessels, allowing Syrah’s floral notes, minerality, and spice to shine.

Syrah Rosé

Many of our rosé wines have Syrah as an important part of the blend. Syrah adds structure and finesse to the wine and offer vibrant, mineral, and refreshingly elegant wines. For our rosé, we harvest the grapes a little earlier and they are just lightly pressed to capture a lovely pale pink hue. Read more about our rosé style here.

Kaizen - a sense of purpose

Eight generations on, the Miquel family continues to look forward while honouring the legacy of our family. Each decision, from pruning to picking to ageing is made with careful consideration — an ongoing balance between heritage and innovation.

We hope that every glass of Laurent Miquel Syrah will bring you the taste of the Languedoc: its limestone hills, its Mediterranean sun, and the quiet dedication of a family who has always believed that great wines are born in the vineyard- we just gently guide them.

Cheers!