Laetitia Ourliac and Rodolphe Gianesini farm a haven at the end of a Cypres-lined road, spanning 15 hectares of lush greenery in the Languedoc.

Laetitia Ourliac and Rodolphe Gianesini are intent on producing wines that express their slice of the Languedoc — specifically, Escales.

The couple’s domaine begins at the end of a road lined with Cypress trees and extends in either direction across 15 hectars of lush vegetation, a secret garden of olives, tomatoes, eggplants, wild herbs, and kittens. 

In 1998, they bought a forgotten vineyard in the Corbières appellation, influenced by cold northwest “vent Cers” winds, and the humid air brought in by the Mediterranean. Over the next six years, the two trained as winemakers and slowly began to re-work their land in the old way, building terraces and planting vines, and getting to know their terroir. 

By 2004, Domaine Fond Cyprès was born and by 2006 organic certification was obtained. Experimentation and evolution at the estate continues. 

And if you are lucky enough to visit Fond Cyprès, you just may be greeted with bowls of freshly grilled palourdes, mussels, garlic, and parsley cooked in the juice of the vineyard.