These wines have a special meaning for us. Indeed, it reflects Bruno’s wish, the founder of Bruno Lafon Selection, to share his passion through the creation of his own wines. He likes to say, “Vineyard and wine are in my blood”. It couldn’t be more accurate… Since his childhood, Bruno is immerged in the wine world. Originally from Burgundy, his family owns Les Comtes Lafon in Meursault – a domain you certainly have heard of or had the chance to taste. Bruno naturally chose to work in the wine industry and followed his dream to become a winegrower in a region he fell in love with in the late 90s: the Languedoc. Today, he proudly defines himself as a merchant – artisan – winegrower.

The value of family is still a major point for him. Bruno works with his wife Sharon and his daughter Alice, and together they put all their passion and energy to satisfy your palate!

Location

The domain is situated in the Languedoc Roussillon, because Bruno fell in love with the region! When you arrive in the charming village of Magalas and head to the Domaine, you will enjoy its little streets, its colors, authentic from the South. The large front gate will welcome you into the Bruno Lafon universe where you can see the wine cellar from 1893, the beautiful stone estate and the storage building, surrounded by cats and dogs, mascots of the estate. This place is where the magic happens and represents the history and the heart of the family activities.

Vineyard

The family runs a property of 19.7 acres and collaborates with winegrowers/friends to work an additional 37 acres. As being located in the heart of the Languedoc region, the vineyard encompasses remarkable and expressive terroirs with 35 years old vines and enjoy an exposition north-east / south-west. We can see the richness of the region through the main appellation that the Domaines produces: AOP Pezenas which englobes 40% of the vineyard and where the Grenache and Syrah are privileged. Shaped like a small triangle, the Pezenas terroir is nestled in the center of the Hérault department. At the East you could see the Hérault River delimitating it, and at the North the Black Mountain protecting it from the windy climate. Also, you will notice that the terroir looks like a mosaic! The soil of the Pezenas terroir is made up of gravel, schists, limestone and sandstone with the particularity of being crossed by a flow of basalt. These soils are representative of the richness this region gives. That said, we could only recommend that, on your next trip to France, you stop by the region (and why not by the Domaine) to enjoy the views of the amazing landscapes the Languedoc offers… all of this while you enjoy a glass of Magellan!

Without surprise, the wines are blend of the main varieties from the region : Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Cinsault to produce the red wines; **Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Grenache Gris, Vermentino, Picpoul, Carignan Blanc **for the whites. These grapes varieties reflect the diversity of his vineyard and the will of the family to produce wines with their own identity and character.

Containers

During the wine making process, they are all destemmed, then vinified in concrete tanks for 20 days. The red wines are aged in Burgundy barrels for their quality and Bruno adds “Having Burgundy barrels was an evidence for me, it’s a link with my origins and they give me more than I couldn’t imagine in terms of quality ”. The white wines are aged in concrete tanks, they don’t need the powerful influence of the Burgundy barrels.

If you ask Bruno how he would describe his style he would say "Really good of course!" before he added more seriously "We are looking for balance and freshness". He wasn’t that wrong by saying “really good”. Many of his wines have been rewarded since the beginning of his winegrower adventure. The Magellan Grenache – Roussanne Languedoc 2019 is an example of this success with a 90 rate gave by Wine Spectator. Over the years, the Domain has created different wines, whom the “Fruit Défendu” by its simplicity became one of the flagships. A pure, delighful and easy going juice! The wine’s name Le Fruit Défendu, literally the Forbidden Fruit in French, reflects both the Story of Creation and the new “Garden of Eden”.

The other range that makes part of the Famille Bruno Lafon is the historically Magellan.

Style of wines

When the idea of moving to the Languedoc in 1999 emerged, Bruno realised the great potential of this region. Today the Magellan wines have a defining southern accent : they are generous, fruity, characterful, and unique. They are balanced, elegant and made with minimal intervention to reflect their origins and retain pure fruit expression. When simple winemaking techniques take a back seat to let the terroir express itself, the real alchemy occurs during ageing and blending. When we talk about Bruno Lafon, the first thing we think about is wine of course! He lives for his passion and we can see that in his wines. Ambitious, creative and recognized in the wine world, his success has been expended beyond the borders and we would love to bring this French touch from the Languedoc into your American glasses!