The Fabre family has been growing vines in the Languedoc for fourteen generations. That is a good start. Yet, how could we possibly entice you to get to know us more?
The fact that we are one of the oldest estates in the Languedoc? Certified archives attest that our ancestors were already crafting wines here back in 1605.
The fact that we in fact still are a family estate? My father, Louis Fabre, has been ruling the estate for over 34 years, taking over his father’s work, himself succeeding to his grandmother; and so on, for 14 generations. My aunt Marie joined him fifteen years ago, and there I am today, perpetuating the family tradition.
The fact that we offer an exciting palette of wines? Our 4 family chateaux are located in the Corbières region and at the gates of Béziers. These various sceneries imply a great diversity of soils, landscapes and grape varieties allowing us to fashion a broad collection of wines that always find a relevant position in a distributor’s portfolio.
The fact that we are Organic, ‘Bio’ in French? For us it is a deep-rooted conviction. We took our first step with Château Coulon in 1991, long before organic farming became a trend. It is an essential approach for our family, a mark of respect to our vines and the land they grow on. But not only. Making wines organically is also a matter of respect for our team working in the vineyards and cellars all year long as well as our consumers, environmentally conscious. If anything, we are utterly making ours the saying ‘you are what you drink’.
Why now? The previous generations use to sell wines in bulk for convenient purposes. We started bottling our production in 1995. At the time, export was mostly turned towards the European Union. Today, shipments to the UK, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, the USA and the Netherlands are reaching flourishing volumes. Alongside, our commercial structure in France is solid and constantly developing over the whole territory. Now is time to broaden our panorama with concrete, long-term partnerships; finding relevant distributors in targeted markets.
Wait, what about the wines? We were raised with the idea that we had to produce wines that we love. Why? If we don’t sell them, we will drink them! Though made from grapes that grow under a radiant sun more than 320 days per year, our white and rosé wines share a crisp, sharp and floral personality. Our reds are charming, profound and redolent of fresh herbs and spices.
What is our commercial approach? I spent five years in Asia on several missions, among which working for a major importer in Hong Kong. Other than allowing me to understand the local specifics that rule a market, it was an eye-opening experience on how to build a relevant portfolio, promote it and comprehend the issues that exist on the distribution side. Working ‘on the other side’ has genuinely transformed my global vision and sharpened it for good.