english

In 1807 the Hug family took over a mu-sic shop in the Augustinergasse in Zurichand turned it into one of the leading mu-sic establishments in Switzerland. In 1993Erika Hug Harke and her husband Eck-ard Harke-Hug discovered a fairytale wi-ne château in the idyllic La Clape moun-tain range between the city of Nar-bonne and the sea. Since then, ChâteauLaquirou has been painstakingly resto-red, little by little. Today, grapes mature atthe estate into fine, full-bodied wineswith a Mediterranean charm. Or as amusician might say: successful compositi-ons for the palate.

EditorialCompositions for the palate ....

usic and wine are close com-panions. Mozart celebratedgood old Bacchus, and Neil

Diamond sings of the feel-good factorfrom a glass of red wine. There are ahost of parallels in the language used todescribe music and wine. Turns of phrasesuch as “dancelike lightness” or “refres-hing finish” could characterise a sonataby Frederic Chopin just as tellingly as awhite Cru made with the Bourboulencgrape indigenous to southern France.Music and wine are also true soulmateswhen it comes to their genesis. Just like acomposer blends melodies, rhythms andchords into a piece of music, so too thewinegrower composes his wine, oftenfrom a variety of different grapes and vineyard parcels.

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“Bacchus war ein braver Mann,der zuerst der goldnen Rebe süssen Nektar abgewann …”

The Abduction from the Seraglio, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

“Red red wine you make me feel so fineYou keep me rocking all of the time”Red Red Wine, Neil Diamond (covered among others by UB40)

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The vineyardWine tasting in the pigeon tower ....

n the short drive from Bézierspast Saint-Pierre to the sea, thesmall road suddenly begins to

wind between bizarre limestone cliffs upto the “Massif de la Clape”. Here you canindulge in the beautiful sight of pinetrees, olive trees and vines, and the scentof garrigue, the moorland replete withthyme, rosemary and broom. Shortly af-ter the crest of the hill, with the sea inview, we come upon Château Laquirou,nestled protectively in a broad, shallowhollow between the two sides of thevalley. The location is reminiscent of twohands clasped together in the shape ofshell, carrying something very precious ....The vineyard is part of an intact ecosys-tem and home to wild boar, partridgeand grass snakes, as well as providing abreeding ground for rare migratory birdslike the European roller and Europeanbee-eaters.

The ancient Romans cultivated wine inthis very place. Julius Caesar often rewar-ded the best warriors in his 10th Legionwith a plot of land on the wild island ofLa Clape. And the Romans liked to buildtheir farmyards in sheltered locations fa-cing the southwest – Laquirou being a

perfect example. The first written refe-rence to a vineyard on this spot datesback to 1495 when it was called “a laQuiro” – Occitan for “little rock”. Afterthe 100 hectare estate – of which 40hectares are covered with vines – waspurchased by the Hug family in 1993, ex-tensive restructuring, renovation and ex-tension work began. In addition to re-planting many plots after a detailed ana-lysis of the soils, a new winery buildingwas constructed in 1995. It was built inthe typical Southern-French style and,despite its considerable size, the newbuilding fits harmoniously into the exis-ting complex of buildings. The new cellaris well equipped to produce wines of thehighest quality. The two most importantfactors here are the temperature con-trol of all tanks and the barrique cellar,and the use of gravity to transport mash,musts and wines more gently with me-chanical pumps.

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Grape variety show gardenThe ancient Greeks and Romanslaid the foundations of our mo-dern wine culture on the shoresof the Mediterranean. As a tributeto the Mediterranean wine cultureof which the vineyard is a part, a unique show garden has beencreated at Château Laquirou thatbrings together some rare, some-times nearly forgotten grape varieties from many differentcountries. It showcases rarities likeMaticha from Morocco, Bokaskèrefrom Turkey, Einuni from Israel as well as old Languedoc varietiessuch as Terret or Aspiran.

Herb show gardenThe French shrub landscape, thegarrigue, is essentially one vastherb garden. After all, lavender notonly has a wonderful scent, but re-lieves fatigue too, while thymecleanses the respiratory systemand sage acts as a disinfectant.Menthe Marocaine also grows inthe herb garden of Château Laqui-rou, along with hyssop, camomile,wormwood and much more. Somevisitors believe that just breathingin the fragrance of this garden hasa “healing” effect ....

The “Jardin de la Méditerranée”at Château Laquirou has beendesigned in the style of a classicFrench ornamental garden. Walkways frame a total of 16separate sections in the gardenwhich can be visited between9:00am and 6:00pm daily. Theshop has the same openinghours.

The old pigeon tower, the estate trademark, now houses a cosy Caveau where visitors can taste and purchase Laquirou wines.

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La ClapeSweet-savoury secrets and more ....

nly two kilometres from Cha-teau Laquirou, the “Massif de laClape” reveals a unique natural

phenomenon called Le Gouffre de l’OeilDoux. A circular crater opens up ab-ruptly in the middle of the craggy garri-gue landscape. A mysterious green lakeshimmers at the foot of the 40-metre-high limestone cliffs. Though only a kilo-metre from the sea, it is a freshwater la-ke; where the water from is a mystery.Years ago the oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau attempted to shed lighton the secret of L’Oeil Doux – in vain.The lake is considered dangerous becau-se of subterranean currents, and swim-ming is prohibited. The environs of LaClape persistently refuse to reveal alltheir secrets ....

Records show that La Clape was still anoffshore island just 600 years ago. Mea-suring 17 kilometres long by eight kilo-metres wide, this range of hills was ab-sorbed into the shoreline with the build-up of sediment from the River Aude.Today, its 30 vineyards cultivate a totalarea of 1000 hectares of vines. The AOPwines are produced with traditional gra-pe varieties such as Syrah, Grenache,

Mourvèdre and Carignan (all red), aswell as Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc,Clairette, Marsanne, Piquepoul, Rolle andRoussanne (all white). The vines are roo-ted on limestone hills at an altitude bet-ween 20 and 250 metres above sea le-vel. The soil composition varies depen-ding on location and the mainly porouslimestone mixes with sandstone, clay orshale. La Clape enjoys a Mediterraneanclimate characterised by hot and drysummers. And yet the heat is broken, bythe Cers, a cool, dry north wind, as wellas the Marée that brings moist air fromthe sea to the vines. At 568 millimetresper year per square metre, rainfall is ex-tremely low.

La Clape “Grand Cru”

Languedoc is the largest wine-growing region in France. In thevast 250,000 hectares of vineyardsin the South of France, La Clape’smere 1,000 hectares is an exclusive speciality. La Clape wineswere granted the AOP Coteauxde Languedoc seal in 1985. Withits 2011 vintage, this diminutiveregion ascended into the highestand most exclusive class of GrandCrus of Languedoc. Now thewines bearing their own appella-tion “La Clape AOP” are reachingthe market. With this step, AOC(Appellation d'Origine contrôlée)becomes AOP (Appellation d'Origine protégée).

For further information on AOP La Clape, please visit: www.laclape.com

OMysterious craterlake: l'Oeil Doux

Barren soil, Mediterranean climate: The terroir of La Clape was made for producing exquisite wines.

Intact ecosystem: The vineyards of Château Laquirou are surrounded by the Garrigue scrubland and a pine landscape.

In the vineyard40 hectares, 24 parcels, seven varieties ....

et’s leave aside the question as towhether they “sing”, as the greatSouthern-French poet Frédéric

Mistral wrote, or frazzle our nerves withtheir shrill chirping. One thing is certain:cicadas are as much a part of the terroirof La Clape as the slightly salty breeze,scented with rosemary and thyme, thatsweeps gently across the vines. The gra-pes of Château Laquirou mature in a dis-tinctive, Mediterranean ecosystem. Froma bird’s eye view, the property is like anisland in the midst of the wild garrigue,the shrubby landscape of rosemary, thy-me, lavender, juniper, sage, daphne etc. Atfirst glance, the vineyards of Château La-quirou appear to be a single cohesiveunit – only upon closer inspection dodifferences emerge. The parcels that aredeeper in the valley basin enjoy soil thatis even richer in nutrients than the ot-hers, a mixture of sand and organic mat-ter that produces very elegant winessuch as the light rosé Sarriette. In con-trast, the very chalky soils with their whi-te lustre in the hilly regions, the “Cote-aux”, where the oldest Grenache andCarignan stock can be up to 60 yearsold, yield tremendously dense, concen-trated wines. The third soil type is a den-

se clay interspersed with red stones. He-re, Syrah and Mourvèdre in particular,but also the venerable white Bourbou-lenc, are able to reach their full potential.Taking advantage of the diverse naturallandscape found in this exceptional loca-tion, the estate is currently undergoing aconversion process to controlled organ-ic viticulture. Chemical agents such asherbicides, pesticides and insecticideswill no longer be used.

Château Laquirou is building exclusivelyon La Clape’s traditional grape varietiessuch as Grenache, Carignane, Mourvè-dre or Bourboulenc. Since their bestqualities come to the fore in interactionwith each other, the estate – likewise inkeeping with regional traditions – doesnot produce any single-variety wines. Allwines produced at Château Laquirouare assemblages. Their compositions canvary slightly from year to year as the dif-ferent varieties reach varying levels ofmaturation.

The vintages

The following seven venerableLanguedoc vintages are producedat Château Laquirou:

White

Bourboulenc (4 ha)

Is currently only cultivated world-wide on 800 hectares, 50 of whichare located in La Clape. Late ripening. Often outstanding, withgood structure, citrus aromas andacidity.

Grenache blanc (1,5 ha)

Full-bodied, with subdued herbalaromas and low acidity.

Roussanne (0,25 ha)

Floral and mineral aromas, strong,with good acidity. Storable.

Red

Grenache (12 ha)

Yields on poor terroir fruity, high-alcohol and yet soft wineswith little tannin.

Syrah (11 ha)

Scion variety. Aromas of currantand pepper. Tannin-rich, storable.

Carignan (9 ha)

Strong, with a more prominentacidity and much tannin. Oftenmature aromas of plums and figs.

Mourvèdre (2,5 ha)

Matures very late. Dark coloured,strong, with plenty of tannin andblackberry aromas.

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In the cellarA delicate balancing act between strength and finesse ....

pecial grape varieties also requirespecial vinification methods,” saysDavid Amiel, estate manager at

Chateau Laquirou. He should know, ashis grandfather and his father were wi-nemakers in the region of Narbonne.David is an archetypal Languedocien.Even down to a stint as a rugby player,for several years even at the national le-vel.

“What we at Château Laquirou seek tocreate is a blend of Mediterraneancharm and finesse. We want our winesto invigorate you, not put you to sleep,”says David Amiel. He also has little re-gard for the fad towards ever more vo-luptuous wines that has spread toLanguedoc as well. He points out thatthe two showpiece red varieties, Gren-ache and Carignan, require particularcreativity and sensitivity. “If the mash isextracted too forcefully, the wine quicklyloses its engaging fruitiness and becomesbitter with a hard finish.” David Amieluses tried-and-trusted methods to ensu-re the red cuvées are given plenty offresh fruitiness. He ferments Syrah andCarignan grapes to 20 percent using theprinciple of macération carbonique (car-

bonic maceration). The beery, light basicwine this produces is used to “refresh”the wines that undergo the classic mashfermentation which can take up to onemonth, while techniques such as mace-ration préfermentaire à froid (particular-ly with Syrah), but also pigeage, remonta-ge and délestage are used to get opti-mum colour, fruit and tannin out of thegrape skins. Ageing is done both in stain-less steel vats and in barriques madefrom French oak; however the small oakbarrel is always used sparingly.

Even though the red varieties make up70 percent of the wine production atChâteau Laquirou, the white wines arealso very compelling. Thanks to the ex-quisite Bourboulenc varieties, whichform the backbone of the white Laqui-rou Crus, these wines exhibit a crispfreshness that is rarely found in the whi-te wines from southern France.

The maceration techniques

To extract the very best of all that the traditional red La Clape varieties contains, the followingtechniques are used for fermentingat Château Laquirou:

Macération CarboniqueFor carbonic maceration the whole grape is put intact into the fermentation vessel. The fermen -tation begins intracellularly in theberries. This gentle procedure produces more fruity, mild wines.

Macération préfermentaire à froidThe freshly crushed and stronglycooled grapes are placed in the fermenter so the juice can beginabsorbing colour, fruit and tanninbefore fermentation begins.

PigeageThe “cap” (consisting of grapeskins) that floats on the surface of the fermenting juice due to thepressure of carbon dioxide is pushed into the must either manually or mechanically usingpoles or pedals.

RemontageThe skins floating on the fermentingjuice are wetted frequently andpushed down by must that hasbeen pumped out from beneath.

DélestageThe juice is completely removedfrom the fermentation vessel andthen pumped again over the skinsthat remained on the bottom ofthe tank.

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Strict selection: The grapes undergo a secondround of meticulous scrutiny on the sortingtable before reaching the cellar.

Barrel sampling: Erika Hug Harke, Eckard Harke-Hug and estate manager David Amiel taste thepremium wines aged in barriques at ChâteauLaquirou.

The winesGarrigue fragrance and ripe fruits ....

he selection of wines from Châ-teau Laquirou ranges from lightwhite Albus and the excellently

structured rosé Sarriette to the fully textured Ausines and Aureus that arematured in oak barriques and are theestate’s premium reds. All Laquirou wineshave one thing in common: They unitethe sensuality of southern France withthe freshness of the nearby sea.

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Albus A white blend of Bourboulenc, Roussan-ne and Grenache Blanc. Aromas of ci-trus, blossoms and Garrigue spicy herbs.Very balanced on the palate, straightfor-ward and fresh. The word Albus comesfrom Latin and means “white”.

Average age of vine: 20 yearsAgeing: Steel tanks, no malolactic fermentationMariage: Oysters, clams, fried fish, charcuterieOptimal maturity: Up to three years after harvesting

RoxanneThis white premium selection takes itsname from the eponymous song by theBritish pop band The Police: a blend ofRoussanne, Grenache Blanc and Bour-boulenc. Mature and complex aromawith notes of citrus fruits, vanilla, candiedorange, fresh herbs and spices. On thepalate a complex and rich structure sup-ported by a juicy acidity. Very well-inte-grated wood notes. Long finish.

Average age of vine: 30 yearsAgeing: Fermented and aged in oak barrels (six months), 50% new wood. No malolacticfermentationMariage: Lobster, salmon or tuna carpaccio, terrines and pates Optimal maturity: Up to six years after harvesting

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SarrietteClassic Rosé, produced with a short ma-ceration using traditional La Clape vinta-ges such as Syrah and Grenache. Aromasof red berries, plus hints of almonds, pa-stries and herbs. Well structured on thepalate and robust. Very refreshing in adry but very balanced way, invigoratingand light. Sarriette is the French word forSatureja Hortensis, or savory, one of the herbs growing in the garrigue in La Clape.

Average age of vine: 20 yearsAgeing: Short maceration, fermentation and aging in stainless steel vats.Mariage: pgrilled fish, bouillabaisse, paella, vegetable risotto, Asian dishesOptimal maturity: Up to three years after harvesting

Champs Rouge Red blend, named after a plot at ChâteauLaquirou, produced with Syrah, Grenache,Mourvèdre and Carignan. Aromas of redberries and garrigue herbs. Traces of le-ather, liquorice and underbrush as wellas mineral notes. Wholesome and livelyon the palate, prominent tannins and re-freshing, well-integrated acidity.

Average age of vine: 30 yearsAgeing: 50% in stainless steel vats and 50% in oak barrels (8 months)Mariage: Cassoulet and other stews, grilled meats, pastaOptimal maturity: Up to four years after harvesting

AusinesBlend of Syrah (80 percent), Carignanand Grenache from selected parcels ofold vines. Aromas of dark forest berriesand cherries plus a little liquorice, pep-per, tobacco and brown earth. Pronoun-ced mineral notes (graphite). Powerful,spicy, fruity on the palate with complexstructures. Supported by ripe tanninsand a juicy acidity. Ausines is the Occitanword for holm oak, of which there aresome impressive 200-year-old speci-mens at Château Laquirou.

Average age of vine: 50 yearsAgeing: Eight to ten months in oak barrels, 30% new woodMariage: Venison, beef, lentils, mushroom ragout, aged raw-milk cheeseOptimal maturity: Up to six years after harvesting

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Aureus PrestigeThe premium wine of the estate is theresult of a two-fold selection. First, onlygrapes are used from very old vines thatare rooted in the best locations, the Co-teaux. Second, for this blend of Syrah (80percent), Grenache and Carignan, onlythree or four barrels that have develo-ped superbly are selected. Aromas ofred and dark berries, backed by preciousspice and herbal notes. Concentrated onthe palate with an abundance of fruit, fi-ne-grained tannins and mature acidity.Long finish.

Average age of vine: 50 yearsAgeing: 12 to 18 months in new French oak barrels Mariage: Spicy Sisteron lamb, Châteaubriand (double sirloin steak), rabbit loin, mushroom ragout, aged raw-milk cheeseOptimal maturity: Up to eight years after harvesting

Wine-tasting in a southern French atmosphere: visitors can taste all the Laquirou wines in theCaveau. Open daily.

Playing the piano with a view of the vines: music and wine in a harmonious symbiosis at Château Laquirou.

Mixing Music and Wine Handel, Rock and Trobadore ....

t is just after the turn of the 19thcentury in a culturally vibrant Zurich.A clergyman and avid musician, Ja-

cob Christoph Hug, takes over Switzer-land’s first music shop. Today, more than200 years later, Erika Hug runs Switzer-land’s leading music company in the sixthgeneration. True to the family tradition,she was taught classical violin at an earlyage. In step with the zeitgeist of her ge-neration, however, she also took an inte-rest in folk, rock and world music. This iswhy she named the white premiumblend grown at Château Laquirou Ro-xanne, after the eponymous song from1978 by the British band The Police.

Through her activities at Château Laquirou in La Clape, Erika Hug becamefamiliar with wine culture and the richmusical history of “Langue d’oc”, the pla-ce where the Occitan language is spo-ken. A complex, secular musical art formdeveloped here around the second halfof the 11th century. The trobadore werepoets, composers and singers. They roa-med the country entertaining peoplewith Canso (love songs), sirventes (vas-sal songs) and Balada (dance songs). Thetroubadours came from all social classes,

with nobles and monks as well as far-mers and artists among their ranks. Wo-men also played their part. The Comtes-sa de Dia (c1140 to 1175) is consideredthe most famous trobadora.

The performances usually took place ina festive setting. As a novel in verse fromthe time recounts: “The jugglers are pas-sing by, each wanting to be heard... Onetells a story, another accompanies him;one plays the bagpipes, and the next themandora; one makes the marionettesdance, another juggles knives ....” The hey-day of troubadour culture in Languedoclasted about 200 years. A native of Nar-bonne, Guiraut Riquier (1230 to 1294),is considered the last troubadour in Oc-citan history. He wrote 89 songs, 48 ofwhich have been preserved. The Crusa-des against the Cathars and the suppres-sion of regional cultures through Frenchcentralism were responsible for the de-cline of the song culture.

For almost 20 years now, the Occitanculture has been experiencing a renais-sance in Laguedoc. This is evidenced bythe popularity of private schools calledcalendretas, where Occitan is taught. In

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Old love songs set to music again

The composer, author and anthropologist Gérard Zuchetto is currently one of the most popular ar tists singing in the traditional style, who has releaseda whole series of CD recordingssince 1985. Using replicas of ancient, long-lost instruments, heis pursuing a concept he describesas “Motz de Valor” (“words ofvalue”). Zuchetto is also a founding director of the Trobar Na Loba Centre in Carcassonnethat focuses on the study and dissemination of the Occitan troubadour culture of the 12thand 13th century.

Recordings by Gérard Zuchetto andother performers of traditional medieval troubadour music cultureare available from Musik Hug in Zurich (Switzerland), tel. +41 (0)44 269 41 82 or can bebought directly at Château Laquirou.An overview of contemporary Occitanmusic can be found on the inner flapon the last page of this booklet.

The Languedoc was the cradle of the

troubadour culture.

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many villages there are also choirs thatsing in Occitan. Many professional bandsare re-interpreting the medieval songsusing traditional instruments such as thelute, harp, bagpipes, bow fiddle, hurdy-gurdy and accordion, often accompaniedby guitar, bass, keyboard, saxophone anddrums. Old wind instruments such as va-rious types of flutes and the Autbòi, aspecial kind of the oboe, also figure pro-minently. The compositions featuring thisinstrument are reminiscent of shepherdsoundscapes marked by the bleating ofthe animals, the tinkling of bells and theshouts and whistles of their minders. Se-veral younger artists have begun combi-ning troubadour songs with influencesfrom jazz, rock and even hip hop.

Due to the resurgence of regional cultu-re, interest in the Christian communityof the Cathars is growing again. They po-pulated the Languedoc area from the12th to the 14th Century in the heydayof the troubadour movement. The Cat-hars resided mainly in the remote foot-hills of the Pyrenees and Cevennes andlived a modest, ascetic and reclusive lifeuntil they were persecuted and largelywiped out by the Roman Church’s quest

to eradicate heresy in the Cathar crusa-des.

A number of musicians are setting poe-try by contemporary Occitan poets tomusic so a wider audience could enjoythem. The famous singer Gerard Zuchet-to has even arranged music to a selecti-on of poems by René Nelli (1906 to1982). In his poem La Tronadissa he wri-tes:

The rumbling of thunder buries itself in the freshness of the valley

The birds have flown away with the colours of the land

Only the paths that lose the horizonbring me closer to what I love

Occitan girl power

The six ladies who make up La Mal Coiffée interpret Occitan folk songs with Mediterraneantemperament, electrifyingfreshness and archaic force. Many of the songs come from the treasure trove of ancient troubadours. The dynamism oftheir performance come from six-part a cappella singing andrapid drum rolls accompanied by period instruments. TheirChansons languedociennes des Vignes et des Bistrots mostly describe rural life. In the song Roseta, for example, a youngwoman marries the village black -smith although she is terrified of the sparks flying in his workshop …

Recordings of La Mal Coiffée and otherperformers of music of the Occitan culture areavailable from Musik Hug in Zurich (Switzerland), tel. +41 (0)44 269 41 82 or canbe bought directly at Château Laquirou. An overview of contemporary Occitan music can be found on the inner flap on the last pageof this booklet.

Treasure trove in Languedoc: The market in Narbonne sells the finest products the earth and the sea have to offer.

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Savoir-vivre“Entre terre et mer”

nce the chefs and gourmets inthe Halles de Narbonne have tu-cked the freshly caught fish and

the vegetables with dirt still clinging tothem into their bags, they head for thetapas bar to enjoy a glass of white LaClape with “Pa amb tomàquet” (toastedwhite bread rubbed with garlic and to-mato and drizzled with olive oil). TheOccitan spoken here has more in com-mon with Catalan than with French andthe Catalan influence is clearly evident inNarbonne’s cuisine. The Rouget (redmullet) is not served with French rata-touille but with Catalan Escalivada – adelicacy made of eggplant, peppers, oni-ons and tomatoes that are grilled thenpeeled, cut into strips and drizzled witholive oil. Narbonne’s market hall is opendaily. The spectacular metal pavilion da-ting from 1901 is a meeting place fortrue connoisseurs. It stands in sharp con-trast to the weekly markets in variouscountry towns in the South of Francewhich are catering increasingly to tou-rists.

The wines of Château Laquirou harmo-nise superbly with the various specialtiesfound in Languedoc, which come from

both the sea and the earth. The fresh,fruity white Albus tastes fabulous withthe fabulous oysters taken from theEtang de Gruissan less than twenty kilo-metres from the Château. When eatingthe great classic of the Languedoc cui-sine, the legendary cassoulet, we recom-mend the Champs Rouge. Incidentally, askilfully prepared cassoulet is not just adish, but a work of art. Aficionados deba-te for hours about the quality of the in-gredients such as duck fat, bacon or sau-sage from a local farmer. The issue ofhow often to stir the crust that formswhen baking has yet to be resolvedcompletely. The authenticity of cassouletis not monitored by the authorities, butby an equally strict institution called LaGrande Confrérie du Cassoulet ….

Tips

La Perle GruissanaiseBase Conchylicole6/7 Avenue de la ClapeF-11430 GruissanTel. +33 (0)4 68 49 23 24Opening hours: daily from 9am to 7pm

Enjoy freshly harvested oystersand mussels while sitting on comfortable wooden benches atthe beach. Tip: Include a chilledAlbus from Château Laquirou andsome dark bread and butter inyour backpack!

Les Halles de NarbonneBoulevard Docteur FerroulF-11100 NarbonneTel. +33 (0)4 68 32 63 99www.narbonne.halles.frOpen every day of the year from 7am to 1pm

The gourmets’ meeting place inNarbonne. After a visit to the mar-ket, take a stroll to the 13th cen-tury cathedral. In front of thetown hall there is an exposedpiece of the Via Domitia, the firstRoman road built in Gaul.

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An institution in Narbonne since

1901: The markethall in the centre.

Bages

Béziers

Agde

Marseillan

Sète

Narbonne-Plage

St-Pierre-la-MerNarbonne

Gruissan

Contact information

Directions from the north:

Leave the A9 motorway atexit 36 (Béziers-Ouest) andthen join the D64 towardsBéziers and then turn offafter a few hundred metresonto D14 towards Lespignan. Take the D14which turns into the D618to Fleury where, in the citycentre, you take the D1118 to Saint-Pierre-la-Mer. Now watch for the ChâteauLaquirou signs.

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Directions from the south:

Leave the A9 motorway atexit 37 (Narbonne-Est), turnright into the D168 at thefirst roundabout. Followingthe winding road some 12 km to Narbonne-Plage.There, take the D1118 alongthe coast to Saint-Pierre-la-Mer. In Saint-Pierre-la-Mercontinue in the direction of Fleury (still D1118). Now watch for signs to Château Laquirou.

Château LaquirouRoute Saint-Pierre-la-MerF-11560 Fleury d’AudeTel. +33 (0)468 33 91 90Fax +33 (0)468 33 84 12laquirou@wanadoo.frwww.chateaulaquirou.com

Visiting hours:

Monday to Friday from 9am to6pm. Also open on weekendsin summer. Group toursrequire prior arrangement byphone.

Erika Hug Harke and Eckard Harke-Hug have been the dedicated ownersof Château Laquirou since 1993.

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