A unique site - PREIGNES

A Unique Site

Since 1905, the Vic family has been promoting Domaine Preignes le Vieux, a testimony to the ancient history of wine in the Languedoc. It stands on Roman remains that highlight 2000 years of intensive wine making. The vineyard today covers over 340 hectares of land surrounding one of the oldest chateaux in the Bitterois.

The Villa

Domaine Preignes le Vieux is situated on the Roman remains of the "Villa Preixanum", which dates back to the year -118. The remains of amphoras that have been excavated, bear witness to the intense winemaking tradition in Preignes that goes back to the Classical Antiquity period. Its location was a strategic one, positioned at the centre of commercial trading, thanks to the nearby ancient Mediterranean ports of Agde and Ensérune and link to the Via Domitia. This route, connecting the Rhône to the Pyrenees, brought prosperity to the "Narbonnaise" vineyards and their wines were exported throughout the Roman Empire.

The Winery

In 1906 François Bergon, the great great grandfather of Jérome Vic, invested in the construction of a new cellar, which still remains the unique place of winemaking/vinification of the estate. 78 huge wooden barrels containing 250 to 350 hl, were constructed on 7200m² and entirely devoted to winemaking.
Today, the cellar is a good marriage between tradition and modernism. The technology has helped with the improvement and transformation of the grapes to wine. Tanks that are currently used are made of stainless steel with thermoregulation, pneumatic wine-presses, cooling, de-stemmer…. A blend of traditional and new world storage are used, with a cellar which contains more than 300 wooden barrels, renewed every 3 years.

The Chateau

The Preignes le Vieux Chateau is one of the oldest Bitterois chateaux and has been listed as a "Monument Historique" since 1995. This formidable fortress, built in 1202, boasts majestic turrets made of lava stone. Constructed by the Viscount of Pézenas, it has survived throughout the centuries by resisting the onslaughts of history, such as the battles with English troops in the 14th century, under the command of the Prince of Wales. The Chateau has been inhabited by several famous characters, such as Amaury de Montfort, the son of Simon de Montfort, who is said to have stayed there. It was passed down from family to family over the years until eventually being acquired by the Vic family in 1905.