Les Vignes Oubliées

France / Languedoc

Les Vignes Oubliées is hard to categorize: though the quality and quantity produced suggest an exacting family estate, it is in fact a sort of boutique cooperative—a self-proclaimed “collective of small farmers.” Clustered around the tiny village of Saint Privat, less than an hour northwest of Montpellier, the terraced vineyards sit at 350 meters altitude, placing them among the region’s highest. Winemaker Jean-Baptiste Granier works closely year-round with the four vignerons who entrust their fruit to him, ensuring that both sides maintain their stringent standards. Having grown up in a family of vignerons, Jean-Baptiste was exposed to wine early on and quickly picked up his father and grandfather’s passion for their profession. Then Granier got an internship with Olivier Jullien. While working together, the two often drove through Saint Privat and admired the beautiful bunches of grapes they saw there. An idea took root, and they easily convinced the vignerons to leave the cooperative that had been buying the fruit. Jean-Baptiste and Olivier officially established Les Vignes Oubliées with the 2009 vintage. By 2011 the new project was well off the ground, and Jullien retired from the project to let Granier hold the reins alone.