L'ESTABEL

L'Estabel is a small Cooperative Winery. The Cabrières vineyard sits at the foot of Vissou Peak, whose 480-meter-high silhouette dominates the village. Five valleys line the steep terrain, forming an amphitheater of vines at the base of the Peak. The climate is typically Mediterranean, characteristic of the Languedoc. The Cabrières vineyard has a long history, dating back to the Roman castrum (fortified camp) in the 1st or 2nd century AD. This was the era of the Pax Romana, a flourishing period for Languedoc viticulture. Wines produced in the region were exported to Italy, Greece, and Germania. In fact, an amphora factory was established near Cabrières. Later, under Carolingian impetus, Cabrières Castle became the center of a district. Peasants cleared and cultivated the land, with the help of Benedictine monks from Aniane, where Saint Benedict founded his first abbey around 780 AD. One of his companions, Nemphins, restored the Cabrières vineyard.