Laurent Habrard
| Vigneron | Laurent Habrard |
| Location | Gervans (Drôme) |
| Size of Domaine | 15 ha |
| Terroir | Continental climate, Mistral (northern wind) influence. Decomposed granite, gneiss, ancient Rhône alluvium and loess on granite bedrock. Steep terraced slopes overlooking the Rhône, 120-280m altitude. |
| Viticulture | Certified organic (Ecocert), practising biodynamics. |
| View Laurent Habrard wines ↓ |
Laurent Habrard began his career in 1998, representing the fifth generation of the Habrard family at the domaine. His vineyards encompass 15ha of Crozes Hermitage (2.5ha of white and 12.5ha of red) with most of them located around Gervans in the qualitative granite-dominated part of the appellation. There’s also 0.6ha of Saint-Joseph in the prestigious Côte Sainte-Épine, and 0.5ha (46 ares to be exact) of the exceptional Hermitage Les Rocoules, the crème de la crème for white Hermitage!
Converting the domaine to organics from 2008 (certified in 2011), Laurent is now taking a Cartesian approach to viticulture by applying the aspects of biodynamics that attract him. Interceps are often used to control grass growth, but mulching (with hay) is also practiced on some of the poorest granitic plots – in order not to work the soils and preserve organic matter – it also suppresses weeds and helps retain moisture. Soils are lightly ploughed by horse, in the lieux-dits Ste-Épine and Les Rocoules, on the few occasions where a little tilling is needed.
View over the village of Gervans Les Rocoules, at the eastern end of the prestigious appellation, is the top terroir for Hermitage Blanc: Marc Sorrel’s top white cuvée is 100% Les Rocoules, and it forms 50% of Jean Louis Chave’s white Hermitage. Laurent Habrard’s vines are located slap bang in the centre of the parcel, shouldered on either side by Chave and Sorrel’s vines. Yet Laurent boasts the oldest vines with 50% averaging 60-70yo and the remaining at a whopping 120yo! – planted in 1900 right after the phylloxera episode. Laurent’s row of vines runs from top to bottom of the hillside; higher up the slope you find many 'galets roulés', with the lower section having the deepest soil – overall it is quite deep, at around 1.5m, with a good proportion of chalk and clay above the granitic bedrock which explains why Les Rocoules is a 'terroir à blanc'. With the hillside’s famous southerly aspect, there’s never an issue with ripening here, the Marsanne variety thrives. And there's rarely a problem with drought either, except atop the slope where the vines sit on 'gore' soils close to the granite bedrock (syrah would fare better here). Of note, Laurent part-owns the parcel alongside two sisters and one brother, who he pays rent to for their shares. With each share now worth a cool million Euros (if they were to sell), there’s a temptation for his siblings to cash in, and it won’t be easy for Laurent to purchase them back at such prices.
We’re also lucky to secure each year a few cases of Laurent’s excellent St-Joseph – 0.6ha of 20yo+ vines on the dizzyingly steep, south-facing, granitic hillside of Sainte-Épine, arguably the most heralded climat of St-Jean-de-Muzols (think Gonon Vieilles Vignes!). The coteau is a sun trap where syrah grows vigorously, and Laurent comments, "it’s often so hot in summer that we can’t work out in the vines past 10am, but thankfully it’s also a notably windy spot which offers some relief". The domaine’s tenure here is of 'métayage': with the vineyard owner taking 25% of the grape production by way of rent, which he then sells to Hervé Souhaut for his cuvée Ste-Épine – all a bit 'compliqué' and typically French!
The approach in the cellar is relatively straightforward. The whites are directly pressed and vinified in stainless steel with temperature controlled, while the reds are destemmed and mostly ferment in concrete vats. Ageing occurs in a mix of inox, concrete and oak and the wines go through a light filtration before bottling. While the reds see no SO2 whatsoever, the use of sulphites is the same on both whites (Hermitage and Crozes), a small dose is added at press and bottling reaching a low total of 45mg/l (the same as Gonon’s white St-Joseph Les Oliviers).
It’s always a surprise for us that the wines of Laurent Habrard are not more universally lauded – because every single one is right out of the top drawer. Displaying a deft touch back in the cave, he’s as equally talented with whites as he is with reds. And sparing no efforts in the vines, Laurent is in our opinion one of the finest vignerons in the Northern Rhône.
Laurent Habrard Wines
HERMITAGE 2019
Les Rocoules
100% Marsanne
100% Marsanne (14.5% alc.)
This comes from a precious 0.46ha south-facing plot shrewdly purchased by Laurent’s parents in 1970 from the family of General de Gaulle – consequently this is the oldest vine example of white Hermitage from any grower in the appellation. Laurent’s 60-120yo+ vines are sandwiched between those of Chave and Sorrel’s (see profile), and the quality of viticulture here stands up to the comparison of the very best in the appellation. In a good year, Laurent produces just six barrels with yields ranging from 5hh (top of the slope on shallow soil) to 40hh (down the slope). Picking is carried out on well-judged dates so that the different levels of maturity (along the slope) balance out to a perfectly 'digeste' 13.5-14.5% alcohol. The wine ages in 1-3yo 228ltr barrels with bottling in December the following year. A rich, mid-gold robe, with beguiling aromas of roasted nuts, acacia, fresh hay, and chamomile at the fore, and a silken texture on the palate. This is a classic white Hermitage that is multi-layered and built to age beautifully, with good weight, length and harmony. For drinking now to 2035+.
CROZES-HERMITAGE 2020
90% Marsanne, 10% Roussanne
90% Marsanne, 10% Roussanne (14% alc.)
The 2.5ha of 50-90yo vines are located around Gervans, the northern and cooler part of the appellation, planted in qualitative soils of loess over granite bedrock – this is a significant advantage for Laurent which allows him to produce fresh and elegant white Crozes despite the ongoing increase in temperature and regular hot summers. Fermented and aged in 'cuve inox', the wine was fined and lightly filtered before bottling in July the following year. Surprisingly lifted despite the round texture, it displays citrusy and peppery aromatics with green almond and vanilla notes.
CROZES-HERMITAGE 2022
100% Syrah
100% Syrah (12.5% alc.)
The syrah vineyards encompass 9ha in the village of Gervans (the granite-dominated part of the appellation), and 3.5ha around Chassis in the warmer south, where the clayey soil is deeper. 'Pieds de cuve' are made from each parcel (vinified separately); this process ensures a steady fermentation in concrete vats, where the wines also age. Lightly filtered and bottled without SO2 in July, this cuvée is juicy and savoury with a dynamic and moreish mouthfeel – top-notch Crozes-Hermitage here – Gervans' granitic slopes play a key role in bringing out the best in syrah within an appellation known for its heterogeneous terroir and quality.
SAINT-JOSEPH 2022
Sainte-Épine
100% Syrah
100% Syrah (12.5% alc.)
Laurent rents just 0.6ha of 20yo+ vines on the revered Côte Sainte-Épine (see profile). Yields are always low, under 30hh, partly due to the parcel being surrounded by forest creating good competition for the vines in such poor granitic soils. 100% destemmed, fermented in concrete vats, and aged in 2-5yo barrels before bottling (in December the following year) with no sulphur added at any stage. The extraction is spot on, there’s black fruits, liquorice and hints of violet and herbs on the nose. With a palate which is full of powerful intense fruit that’s spicy and energetic, restrained by an undertow of granite and fine-grained tannins on the finish. This is a wine with exceptional balance and sapidity. For drinking now to 2030.