4 – Rocks & Landcapes in Terrasses du Larzac appellation – La Chapelle Notre Dame de l’Hortus

Our  fourth episode on the geology of the AOP Terrasses du Larzac takes us to the river  terraces, almost at the confluence of the Lergue and the Hérault rivers. Shona Gravat-Hodan and Jean-Claude Bousquet explain all. 

The Chapel of Notre-Dame de l'Hortus was built at the beginning of the fifteenth century, in an area originally maintained as gardens (les horts). Here we focus upon another defining soil of the AOP Terrasses du Larzac: the rolled pebbles of the river Hérault's alluvial terraces, (also renowned across the South of France, in the Rhone Valley for example).

Then Julien Zernott, on the other hand, is based on the limestone scree terroirs, just below the cliffs that border the Larzac plateau, towards Pégairolles de l'Escalette. As for Jean-Pierre Venture, based near Aniane, his wines are elaborated from vines planted on very different soils too.

Credits, in order of appearance :
Shona Gravat-Hodan, former Project Officer, Terres d'Hérault Geopark project (Département de l'Hérault, a sub-regional public body)
Jean-Claude Bousquet, Geologist. He is the author of “Terroirs viticoles. Paysages et géologie en Languedoc.” (Wine terroirs. Landscapes and geology in the Languedoc.)
Julien Zernott, winegrower at Domaine du Pas de l'Escalette in Pégairolles de l'Escalette
Jean-Pierre Venture, winegrower, at Mas de la Seranne, Aniane (now retired, the estate is now leaded by his daughter Amandine)

This podcast was directed by Alexandre Héraud, with support from his team at Écran Sonore, in particular Vincent Decque, editor.
The podcast was produced for the series Wine Routes, and can be found on our web application "Itinérances en Terrasses du Larzac" : https://visit.terrasses-du-larzac.com/ This web app was developed in partnership with Vinoways, a Montpellier-based start-up. It was financed with the support of Occitanie Region, and European LEADER programme funds administered by Pays Cœur d'Hérault