Distillerie du Petit Grain - Fine de Carignan
The Distillerie du Petit Grain is located in Saint-Jean de Minervois, in the emblematic region of Hérault, a terroir renowned for the richness of its viticultural and agricultural traditions. This artisanal micro-distillery was founded in the heart of the village by the passionate couple Patricia and Laurent Gaspard, who are committed to producing exceptional eaux-de-vie, combining freshness, purity, and aromatic subtlety. Their expertise is based on the use of a copper pot still heated directly by fire designed by the famous workshops of Jean-Louis Stupfler, globally recognized for equipping the most demanding French and international distilleries. This traditional process, demanding in its handling, allows meticulous control of the heating, thus promoting the explosion of natural aromas and the gustatory complexity of the distillates.
The couple favors rigorously selected fruits from organic farming, ensuring healthy raw materials at their optimal maturity for impeccable quality. Their artisanal approach is based on absolute respect for terroirs, seasons, and ancestral practices: apricots are pitted by hand, the marc is delicately destemmed, and no step is mechanized, preserving the integrity and richness of the products. The distillates are produced without filtration, with a rigorous selection of distillation fractions — only the precious hearts of the run are kept, eliminating the heads and tails to obtain a pure and refined eau-de-vie, although this leads to low yields.
The Fine is a prestigious grape brandy, resulting from the meticulous distillation of a boiler wine made from Carignan, an emblematic grape variety of Southern France, known for its fruity, spicy notes and elegant structure. This Fine de Carignan perfectly embodies the authentic and noble expression of the Languedoc terroir, ideal for lovers of fine and elegant spirits.
