Montlaur Val-de-Dagne

France

Le scoop…

Un petit village des Corbières…

The small village of Montlaur lies nestled in the Dagne Valley, southeast of Carcassonne, below the Alaric Mountain to the north, and the Coque hill to the south. It is situated in the beautiful and vast Corbières wine region in the western section of the Languedoc-Roussillon, now known as Occitanie. It is approximately 80 miles/129 kilometers to the Spanish border and located in one of the sunniest regions of France. You can arrive to the village of Montlaur via the Alaric Route along the AOC Corbières, which takes you through the fantastical land of rocky wind stripped hills and curvy roads bisecting the beautiful abundant vineyards. You can also arrive via the narrow, magnificent canyons of the Gorge de Congust located just below the massif Mont d’Alaric, but no matter the route you choose the drive into the village will surround you with captivating beauty.

Montlaur Val de Dagne is a traditionally authentic French village off the beaten track, snuggled among the small wine driven villages of Val de Dagne, each with its own unique beauty and charm. It is home to approximately 600 residents, some “from away,” who have come here seeking a calm, quiet purposeful way of life. The kind of life that provides a grounded sense of community born of the little French village and its people who remain the heartbeat and core of daily life. Graciously they allow us to settle amongst them, to live in their village and to experience their extraordinary culture. We are grateful.

Currently Montlaur is host to a local grocer, “La Petite Normandie de L’Aude”, a weekly fresh market place featuring locally sourced products, a pharmacy, and even a weekly evening pizza van. Then there are also multiple local Vintners and vineyards, a beautiful historic church, a Mairie (City Hall), a L’École primaire (elementary school), and a much beloved Bar/Gites/Restaurant, the “Vins de Dagne”. Here in late spring, summer and early fall on most any given weekend you can enjoy outside concerts, food, film festivals, dancing and dinners always accompanied with great local wines. In the winter season everyone moves inside to the Foyer (the village common gatherings space) to share in the many seasonal celebrations many hosted by Le Club Les Montlauriers and Abribus.

The aforementioned village restaurant, “Vins de Dagne” is an anchor, a welcoming and warm place where villagers and visitors alike can gather on most days to have a coffee, a drink, tapas, lunch or dinner and leisurely connect with neighbors, friends and the welcomed occasional strangers. The driving force, your hosts are the completley lovely couple, Aurélien Cornac, his wife Zin and their beautiful son Marin Myo. They are ever smiling, kind and genteel. They have a special way of making you feel immediately comfortable and welcome as they greet you. Aurélien is a graduate of the Master Level Sud de France and much well traveled. He offers a wide variety of French wines, of which many are local/regional and in fact many come from the vines of the village. Aurélien is available to help you discover new wines and to offer advice for pairing wine with your meal. Also to note are his locally sourced foods which are carefully selected and cooked to perfection. He hosts many special events at Vins de Dagne throughout the year and supports many local vendors of the Val de Dagne and this region in general. At Vins de Dagne there is always a warm and inviting atmosphere waiting to embrace you in all seasons.

The other villages in the Val de Dagne and throughout the Corbières region are also host to a world of magnificent vineyards that pull you in with their exploding beauty, especially in late spring, summer and early autumn, however I can see their magic in every season. I think it is fair to say that most villages in theis region draw you in, but my heart belongs to the little village of Montlaur.

Here in the Corbières region it is impossible to drive more than a kilometer or two without passing a vineyard where the well placed vines are planted in straight long rows in order to capture the best exposure to the sun. Here there is no doubt that you are solidly in the land of vines where wine is king. Here is where the vines thrive and flourish in the limestone and clay soil during the long hot Corbières growing season. Here is where you will find the great fleshy full bodied reds, delicate light fruity rosés and some well balanced whites as well. Here is where the reds retain royalty status. Here the wines remain vastly varied, due to the diversity of soil type throughout the Corbières region. Here the vineyards never fail to enlist a deep feeling of wonder especially as you see their branches change and morph in color and shape with the changing of seasons.

This region in France goes all the way back to a time when France was made up of independent states with their own rulers. The language spoken here at that time was Occitan. A language derived from Latin, sharing many similarities with Catalan and one of the earliest forms of the Romance languages. In fact, even today you can still hear the language of Occitan spoken by locals. You can also hear the beautiful Occitan songs being sung and see the tradtional Occitan dancing at many local village events. Here you can see many road signs displaying both the French and Occitan names of villages.

The simple act of driving here is sheer delight as you wind your way from one village to the next, entering along majestic platane tree lined roads often bordering the ever present vineyards. All year long you can see and smell the many fragrant herbs and wildflowers that grow randomly along the roadside, on the hills. and in the vineyards between the rows of vines. It is other worldly.

In these villages of the Corbières region you will not find any glitz or dazzle, but rather things much more magnificent. You will see those things found only in nature that make our world vastly colorful and beautiful. You will see old stone houses and beautifully imperfect cobbled streets, you will see old-world stone churches, historic Abbeys, and walks that lead to magnificent hills and small mountains. Sometimes when I am driving here I feel like I am passing by large canvas murals of vastly beautiful landscape scenes reminiscent of those found only in museums.

The people…here you will meet people rooted in their heritage, devoted to their families and friends, their deep seated French culture and to their love of the land and each other. You will find generations of families who have been rooted in viticulture, (the care, cultivation and production of wines) adapting to the constant changes in industry and climate, and moving forward to the next season of work with all the challenges they must face and next year’s production.

There is no question that this is a unique region in France. It is genuine, it is authentic, and it is grounded in an unassuming and humble presence that belays a deep work ethic and a richly textured French heritage. You are embraced by its savage beauty, the rock strewn mountains, jade colored rivers, winding canals, hills of fragrant wildflowers and herbs, vineyards, grazing sheep, canals, etc… accompanied by a history that predates the Templars and Cathars. It is bewitching, captivating and seductive, a gift. For those of you who are not seeking the traditional grandiose tourist experience born of iconic cities, come here and experience this very special region in France. It will be memorable.

When it comes my time for leaving, it is always a difficult goodbye…

Merci Montlaur pour tout ce que tu donnes!