Why it matters
The producer
At Pennautier, Domaine Lalande makes red and white wines across several geographic categories. SCEA Château Lalande is the legal estate name, while Domaine Lalande is the wine brand. The range includes Réserve Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Les Hauts de Lalande and Château Lalande Cabardès.
Château Lalande Cabardès brings Mediterranean and Atlantic grape varieties into the range. Les Hauts de Lalande carries the Cité de Carcassonne designation. The producer also makes wines under IGP Pays d'Oc and IGP Aude.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The Canal du Midi borders the vineyard at Pennautier, between Toulouse and Carcassonne in the Languedoc region. Pennautier is the village setting, while the wines use several geographic categories on their labels.
Cabardès is an appellation, a regional name governed by production rules. IGP, or protected geographical indication, also links wine to a defined area while allowing a broader set of grape and production choices. Domaine Lalande's range therefore includes both appellation wines and IGP wines.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
The vineyard includes vines over 20 years old. Production and ageing take place in a steel winery.
Steel is a neutral cellar material, so it does not add oak flavour. Fruit and acidity remain more directly tied to the grape and vineyard rather than to wood.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range includes Château Lalande Cabardès as a red under the Cabardès appellation, Les Hauts de Lalande as a Cité de Carcassonne red, Réserve Merlot as the Merlot named red, and Sauvignon Blanc as the named white wine.
Château Lalande Cabardès uses Mediterranean and Atlantic grape varieties. The broader range also includes wines under IGP Pays d'Oc and IGP Aude, giving the bottles different geographic positions alongside their grape names.