Story of the winery

Our Story begins with a deed executed and authenticated by a notary and here is the gist:

L'an onze de la République Française et le vingt-quatrième fructidor après midi (soit le 11 septembre 1803) Jean-Louis Séguin fils Notaire public recevait
           Le Citoyen Gabriel-Joseph-Raymond Villardy-Mont Laur
           Et les citoyens Thomas, Jacques, André et Augustin Serres tous quatre frères,
Afin d'authentifier la vente des domaines connus sous la dénomination de la Salade, St Agnès et La Matte

It is the beginning of a long family story around the wine. In 1842 the Serre family added to this estate the Lebous small farm which was including the ruined Lebous castle. Since then, the Vialla family (descending from the Serre family) carries on the tradition in this property down the Pic Saint Loup.

The place of "La Salade" and especially the Lebous Castel has an history much more older which gives him a very particular trait.

It's in 1954 that Mr. Maurice ROUGE, the excavator assistant of Dr. Jean ARNAL (Doctor in St Mathieu de Tréviers well known as a referent archaeologist), discovered a tumulus on which a cart track was running. This tumulus revealed an old dolmen which was estimated by Dr. ARNAL as belonging to the XV century BC.

A surrounding wall build in pre-Cyclops height was revealed, pierced by door and a corridor accessing several towers regularly placed. This set of fortification was about 1m50. It was at this time the necessary height needed by men to shoot over with a bow or a sling.

According to Dr ARNAL it would be a rare instance of a so advanced architecture from Bronze Age, which as never been seen in France nor in Europe. It's in Egypt that we can find a chalcolithic fortress with similar characteristics.

Our domain spread mainly between two hills, the Lebous one (or Leboux) and the Avants located à the basis of the Pic Saint Loup.

Most of the vineyard is located in an A.O.C area with the appellation « Coteaux du Languedoc - Pic Saint Loup »

Today the winery is farmed by a family company named: "Société civile agricole des Domaines de la Salade, des coteaux du Lebous, de la Matte, des Avants et de Pont Trinquat" (in abbreviation S.CO.L.M.A.T.)

The actual face is the result of Henri Vialla's work who managed the domain until the 80's. Since that his four children Monique, Michel, Pierre and Philippe took over.

Most of the actual grapes where planted by his sons, Michel took first in charge the management and begun a large plan of replanting followed and developed by his young brother Philippe since 1992.

Since the beginning of 2007 a new generation starts under the sponsorship of the previous one, represented by Anne Donnadieu, daughter of Monique Davila and niece of the two previous managers.

The main characteristics are the following:

• Surface = 45 ha (108.45 acres)
• Annual production = 1500 à 1800 hl
• Yield = 40 to 50 hectoliter / hectare
• Degree = 12° à 13°
• Products = side hills wine on calcareous clay scree
• Traditional wine producing