Domaine Félines Jourdan

Headed by Claude Jourdan, a female winemaker, Domaine Félines Jourdan is a pioneering estate in the Languedoc region of southwestern France. It has been owned by the winemaking family since 1983. However, the Jourdans go back several generations in the area. The winery is one of the few independent producers in the area, owning vineyards in three terroirs of the appellation: Félines, Les Cadastres, and La Coulette.

Félines, with just the right mix of clay and sand, was once more famous for making bricks than for wine. The area was also a Roman pathway leading from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic ocean. The vineyards are peppered with old Roman markers that guided their way.

The 100-hectare estate is located adjacent to the Étang de Thau, a 27-square-mile lagoon on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. To protect the local environment, including the lagoon and a bird sanctuary, the winery strictly adheres to sustainable agricultural methods.

At Domaine Félines Jourdan, the winemaking philosophy is to use technology to support traditional methods. In the vineyard, they look for phenolic maturity in the grapes to ensure balanced and high-quality wines. In the cellar, temperature-controlled stainless steel fermentation tanks preserve the freshness of the wines.

The estate’s unique terroir is ideal for crisp whites and bright reds. Soils and climatic conditions throughout the three distinct terroirs is typically Mediterranean, marked by maritime influences. The vineyards range from the Félines, with its gently sloping plain on the banks of the lagoon to La Coulette at 80 meters, with an eastern exposure and vines planted at the edge of the forest to shield them from the wind. Les Cadastres at 45 meters, is located on a plateau halfway between Les Félines and La Coulette. This vineyard is the heart of the appellation. Its vines are exposed to the marine air and are bordered by the ancient Roman highway.