Domaine de La Préceptorie

The year 2000….

It is very difficult for a child today to imagine what these magic words meant fifty years ago.

Children of the post-war period, this time was referred to as that of a heavenly future, embodying for us the very notion of technological progress, symbolizing an ideal world, the orange-coloured world of which Aragon spoke, a “modern” world where nothing would be the same as before, a world where we would be freed from our heaviness and limitations, our pettiness and our contingencies…

The end of the 90s embodied for many French winegrowers a period when everything seemed possible and as far as we were concerned, freed from our southern winegrower complexes, leaving the Banyulenc enclave, we left some of La Rectorie to explore the northwest of Roussillon, taking us away from the Mediterranean shore, in order to establish a “foundation”.

The Hautes Corbières du Roussillon as they were called until 1972, sheltered a small village and a cellar to the south of a plateau overlooking the village of Maury, which would welcome us after a successful experience at the Cave Coopérative de Maury for the 2000 vintage; during these harvests we elaborated on behalf of the cellar a red wine vinification trial with a view to a future AOC on this terroir which at the time only produced natural sweet wine. Vincent Legrand was in charge and deployed his customary energy to bring this project to a successful conclusion.

Thanks to this experience, the team of La Rectorie reinforced by a young winegrower and two more experienced winegrowers, we acquired in July 2001 the cooperative cellar of St Arnac in order to establish a winemaking site in the fennellèdes, near the Maury cru. There, we sought to experiment with what made this Maury terroir so special by applying the same requirements and discipline as ours at Domaine de La Rectorie. For ten years we have tried both in the vineyard and in the cellar, with modest means, to make this great mute that is the terroir speak! Once again, as in La Rectorie, the absence of means was our guide, the absence of a guru our credo!

In addition and at the same time friends helped us and surrounded us with their advice and their friendship, very necessary in these moments of struggle that represents the birth of a small independent production unit!

Of course this experience of great human richness was not very easy and I understand that some of us got tired of it but when I look back on the first ten years, it seems to me more than ever that the name chosen, the name given really corresponded to this experience: La Préceptorie* was a foundation of La Rectorie in Maury.

Etymology is an exciting science and can in some cases join the work of analysis and psychoanalysis, Master Lacan is not far away. To name a thing, a being, is to recognize it, to give it birth, to give it life. In the New Covenant it is no coincidence that one of the apostles begins, by wanting to name the One who cannot be named by saying: “In the beginning was the Word…” And if etymology allows us to dissect the historical meaning of the birth of the word from its origin, the very choice of the word to designate a story, a project is not neutral.

For various and varied reasons, all those who lived this “adventure” did not stay but all contributed their stone to the edifice and it is too early at the end of almost twenty years to draw all the conclusions but the work is there and the production of white, rosé and red wines as well as the natural sweet wine, testifies to the progress made to understand the expression of the terroir of Maury without getting entangled in artifices. It is thanks to all those who have worked on this project – some might call it utopian – that they have imbued it with their desire and willingness to transform their dreams into reality despite all the failures, imperfections, abandonments and fatigue. The journey we have made in nineteen years has enabled us to achieve the necessary decantation, essential to make the difference between things, between beings, between dreams and reality.

Is reality less beautiful, however, I don’t think so. Joseph Parcé and his wife Amandine arrived for the 2007 harvest and took care of the estate until December 13, 2016. The construction of a new cellar in St Paul will remain the key element of their management.

Today, although Marc is still present, it is the new generation of “Parcé Brothers” Martin, Augustin & Vincent who are in charge.

Marc Parcé.

*The Preceptorie (preceptorum domorum milicie Templi) or House (domus Templi) was a centre inhabited, by a small community, which brought together the three essential functions of a monastery house, a fortified post and an area of agricultural exploitation.