A visit to Château Haut Gléon

3rd August 2018

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Deep in the south of France, just a short drive from the blue waters of the Mediterranean and alongside the Narbonnaise en Méditerranée Natural Regional Park you will find a worthy to discover gem of wine and wine tourism in Château Haut Gléon.

I was very pleased to be able to spend a very relaxed day of fine wine tasting at this majestic location and also have the time to explore the chateau and its grounds to include one wonderfully positioned outdoor swimming pool offering views over vines of the estate.

As myself along with two other international wine journalists were being driven deeper into the Languedoc wine region we were delighted to see Château Haut Gléon on a road sign we had taken and as we climbed the hill we saw the impressive property set within its own park. As a beautifully sunny day blessed us for our visit a simple wooden table and chairs were placed on the lawn and awaited us for our own private tasting of the wines from this Vallée du Paradis estate – Domaine Haut Gléon.

Checking in done we sat and admired the views as a selection of Château Haut Gléon, from the Les Vignobles Foncalieu range, wines were served for us to taste and review. Each wine set a new president in quality and admiration from ourselves as we tasted the fine range and felt the warm Mediterranean sea breeze in the air. This opportunity is also open to those looking for that memorable wine tourism experience.

An afternoon to relax was ours, a sometimes rare opportunity for any professional wine writer, so us wine writers decided to take a tour of the vineyards (grape varieties including Chardonnay, Roussanne, Viognier, Merlot, Pinot, Syrah and much more) and discover the ancient origins of Château de Gléon that includes its very own 6th century chapel dedicated to the “Virgin of Gléon”.

The swimming pool was just too tempting for any of us to resist and is available for any guest of the château and the Gites de France cottages on site to use – I have enjoyed many swimming pools over the years and this one certainly stands out for the peaceful views you can enjoy.

The estate offers a unique wine tourism experience for the night or weekend or indeed a whole holiday. The recently renovated main château offers a number of impressive guestrooms that overlook the splendid gardens and views. It is some venue to enjoy a wine tasting!

In 1991 the Duhamel family acquired the Domaine Gléon and renamed it ‘Château Haut Gléon’. One of the jewels in the Languedoc’s winemaking crown, the estate has been part of the Foncalieu family since 2012.

Cuvée Notre Dame (Corbières PDO): the quintessential expression of our terroir.
Les Châteaux (Corbières PDO): the flagship wines of Haut Gléon, an intense, generous red and a white of exquisite elegance, not to forget our delicious rosé.
Les Domaines (Vallée du Paradis PGI): fresh young wines to share and enjoy.
Les Carthagènes: delicious sweet wines for aperitifs and desserts.

Christopher Walkey

Co-founder of Glass of Bubbly. Journalist and author focused on Champagne & Sparkling Wines and pairing them with foods.