This charming historical abbey was founded in 1139 by Benedictine monks in the heart of the Languedoc-Roussillion region in southern France and shortly after, placed under the control of the Cistercian order. For more than 8 centuries, vines have been grown, and wine made at the Abbey, by the very same order of monks that planted some of the greatest Bourgogne Crus. A critical factor for the order in choosing the land upon which to build their abbey was the suitability of the area for the planting of vineyards. The quality of the terroir and the savoir-faire that imbues the wines from l’Abbaye de Valmagne are therefore deeply entrenched in its heritage.
Fast forward to the present, and l’Abbaye de Valmagne has been in the same family, passed down from generation to generation, since 1838. The present vineyard manager, Roland d’Allaines, is passionate about his work and his family’s history, and this shows through in his care of the vineyards and in the elegance and finesse of the wines produced. His father, Philippe d’Allaines, began converting the vineyards to organic agriculture in 1999, and Roland has continued this tradition, as well as venturing into biodynamic agriculture.
Although l’Abbaye de Valmagne has approximately 35 hectares of vineyards, the vines are managed so as to produce low yields, ensuring the highest quality and concentration of aromas and flavour in the grapes. We are extremely pleased to be able to bring these fabulous wines to you here in Hong Kong as Abbaye de Valmagne’s exclusive partner and distributor.
The vineyards of l’Abbaye de Valmagne are divided roughly into 3 separate levels. On the flatter plains at the foot of the hill on which the Abbey is situated, the soils are made up of limestone and clay, with a proportion of silt. These vines produce the grapes used in the Vitrail range. Higher up towards the middle of the slopes, the soil becomes less silty and is primarily limestone and clay. These sites produce the wines in the Portalis range. Finally, at the top of the hill, the limestone and clay remains, but is mixed with large quantities of red sandstone. These premium sites are reserved for the Turenne range and Cardinal de Bonzi.
You can find Abbaye de Valmagne’s wines right here.