Domaine de la Dourbie At a glance
- Founded: 1781; the Serin family bought and modernised it in 2003
- Location: Canet, Hérault, on the right bank of the Hérault
- Run by: Bernard Serin and his son Nicolas, with Laurent Graell (deputy managing director since 2010)
- Oenologist & Technical Director: Sophie Brun-Mérimée
- Vineyards: Around 34 hectares across three terroirs: clay-limestone, marl and rolled pebbles at the house; garrigue-surrounded slopes at Vendémian; black basaltic tuff on an extinct volcano at Aspiran
- Farming: Organic since 2009
- Speciality: Wines from indigenous varieties, including the rare Terret
Meet La Dourbie
We’ve been wanting to introduce the wines of La Dourbie for a while. Nic met Laurent Graell last year - another young man full of passion and energy - and the wines have stayed with Nic ever since.
The estate was created in 1781 and takes its name from the Dourbie, the small river that runs through the vineyard into the Hérault. In 2003, the Serin family bought it and modernised it. Laurent Graell arrived in 2010 as deputy managing director; the oenologist and technical director is Sophie Brun-Mérimée. The estate is run by Bernard Serin and his son Nicolas, and the brand was rebuilt over three years following the death of Emmanuel Serin, who was the one who drove the modernisation and the organic conversion.
The outlook is modern in the best sense of the term: caring for their environment and wanting to make excellent wines from indigenous varieties that drink well and call for another glass. Mission accomplished. Organic since 2009, with a fully integrated approach - integrated pest control, pollination, cover cropping, multi-crops, and very sparing irrigation for young vines only. There are beehives beside the vineyards and a century-old ornamental park on the property. It is a haven of fauna and flora and a gorgeous place to be.
Around 34 hectares across three distinct terroirs: twenty around the house on clay-limestone, marl and rolled pebbles; twelve up in the Rouveyrolles valley at Vendémian between 300 and 350 metres, surrounded by garrigue; and 1.8 hectares on black basaltic tuff on the slopes of an extinct volcano at Aspiran. Vinification across wooden foudres, stainless steel and terracotta.
Terret: the grape almost nobody has heard of
Terret is a grape almost nobody has heard of, and there is very nearly none of it left. It is an ancient Languedoc vine that mutated into three colours - blanc, gris and noir - from one parent. In 1958 there were around 15,000 hectares of it in France. Today all three colours together add up to under 1,000 hectares, and Terret gris is down to about 40 hectares in the entire country. It buds late, so it dodges frost; it ripens late, so it keeps acidity and stays low in alcohol; and it handles drought. In other words, a grape that was abandoned for being unfashionable turns out to be exactly what a warming Languedoc needs. La Dourbie are among the growers keeping it alive, and they are doing a great job of it. If you’re after something you’ve never tried, this is the answer.
The wines
Two Marius wines, and two punchier Mala Coste wines.
La Dourbie, Marius Blanc 2024
£21.50
Terret, Grenache Gris · AOC Languedoc
The pleasure from this wine is immediate: beautiful white blossom and stone fruit with a little power and richness. Really fun and full of life. Terret is one of those indigenous grapes La Dourbie are working to keep alive, and they’re doing a great job of it.
La Dourbie, Marius Rouge 2023
£21
Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah · AOC Languedoc
With Cinsault leading, you get a juicier, fruitier, more direct style of wine, but don’t discount the Grenache and Syrah, which bring up the rear with a good punch. It’s impactful and a lot of fun too.
La Dourbie, Mala Coste Blanc 2024
£25.50
Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Terret Blanc · IGP Pays d’Hérault
A punchier number: richer, complex with a beautiful acidity, a gastronomic wine with a story to tell in the glass. Nic finds it as compelling as a £40 Burgundy, which makes it brilliant value for money.
La Dourbie, Mala Coste Rouge 2021
£25.50
Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre · IGP Pays d’Hérault
Again, quite a punchy number, yet “only” 13.5%, so there’s intensity and concentration of fruit with a lovely freshness and lift about it. A big wine that is very drinkable and will keep you interested over several glasses and coming back for more.
Browse the full Languedoc and Roussillon range, or take the six-bottle case - one wine from each of our six growers, including Gayda, Monplézy and La Dourbie.
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