Abbotts & Delaunay winemaker Jeanne Delaunay, now 26, avoids speaking about “making Burgundy in the South”, preferring the idea of tailoring, working terroir by terroir with a couture-like attention to detail. This translates into micro-selection, Champagne-style pressing and élevage adapted parcel by parcel. Her philosophy is shaped by experience gained at Romanée-Conti, Thibault Liger-Belair, Francis Ford Coppola in Sonoma and Coldstream Hills in Australia. It has led her to focus on grape variety, climate and resilience as the foundations of the estate’s identity.
Jeanne Delaunay at Domaine de la Lause
Abbotts & Delaunay: Burgundy heritage meets southern potential
The company brings together the visions of Nerida Abbott, who founded the original Abbotts winery in 1996, and Laurent Delaunay, a fifth-generation Burgundian winemaker and négociant who acquired the estate in 2005. He saw an opportunity to reveal the region’s potential for premium, site-driven wines. Under Jeanne’s direction, this has evolved into a clear emphasis on precision viticulture and defined terroir expression.
The estates
Domaine de la Métairie d’Alon
Abbotts & Delaunay operates three owned estates: Domaine de la Métairie d’Alon, Domaine de la Lause and Domaine du Trésor. I visited the first two. Domaine du Trésor, near Narbonne, secures fruit for the IGP Pays d’Oc range.
Domaine de la Métairie d’Alon in Limoux is a 25-hectare organic and biodynamic estate on a hillside above Magrie. The altitude of the Haute Vallée de l’Aude brings freshness and tension. Even small distances between parcels produce notable shifts in temperature, reinforcing the value of parcel-led vinification. Ongoing soil research continues to reveal striking complexity, reflected in single-plot bottlings of remarkable character.
Domaine de la Lause in Corbières was acquired in 2019 and lies at the foot of the Montagne d’Alaric, where cooling winds moderate the heat. Gravel and clay-limestone soils give structure and lift. The vineyard has been replanted and designed with Burgundian precision at heart and is now organic. The 10.5-hectare site is devoted to Mediterranean varieties, with the finest parcels destined for the Terroirs and Parcellaires series. This range mirrors Jeanne Delaunay’s haute couture approach: working gently and precisely with each parcel and bottling only when its identity is fully clear.
A practical expression of ‘haute couture’
At Abbotts & Delaunay, haute couture translates into fit-for-purpose craftsmanship. Hand-harvesting and strict sorting allow for careful selection of fruit and informed decisions about cuvée composition. Champagne-style middle-press extraction delivers purity and clarity, guiding subsequent decisions on élevage. Jeanne tailors the use of French barriques, larger oak, amphora or stainless steel to each wine’s profile.
She is equally committed to preserving old Grenache Gris vines and to experimenting with PiWi varieties such as Bouquet 3159, which supports long-term climate adaptation. Together, these practices express the region with unusual finesse.
This dedication to showcasing the region at its most refined, and to highlighting the best characteristics of each wine, is where the term haute couture winemaking feels genuinely appropriate. The philosophy behind it reveals itself clearly in the wines we tasted.
Tasting the Abbotts & Delaunay range
Pinot Noir “Le Village”, IGP Pays d’Oc, 2023
A blend of parcels around Magrie. Bright cherry and raspberry with a cool-climate profile, taut acidity and fine tannins. Clear minerality gives gastronomic versatility and potential for ageing. A village wine in the Burgundian sense.
Pinot Noir “Solaire” Single Vineyard, IGP Pays d’Oc, 2023
Shows a complex nose of vanilla and cherry. More concentration and spice than Le Village, with marked minerality and a long finish. Refreshing and best served slightly cool, supported by excellent acidity.
Pinot Noir “La Métairie”, IGP Pays d’Oc, 2023
Opens gradually to reveal poise and elegance. Cool red fruits, cherry and redcurrant sit alongside a touch of vanilla and chalky minerality. The palate starts cool and gains warmth in the glass, finishing long and refined.
Rosé de Pinot Noir “Les Graves”, IGP Pays d’Oc, 2024
The first wine Jeanne created at the estate. A pure, terroir-driven rosé made by Champagne-style pressing and raised in stainless steel. High-toned acidity with strawberry, cherry and a clean, chalky imprint. A superb aperitif.
Chardonnay “Le Village”, IGP Pays d’Oc, 2023
Jeanne’s first vintage of this cuvée. Champagne pressing and French oak with about ten percent new. Almond blossom, lemon flower and flinty notes lead to a fresh, saline palate with mineral drive. Medium-bodied, structured and charming. Burgundy in Languedoc clothing.
Chardonnay “Le Palajo” Single Vineyard, AOP Limoux, 2023
Limestone, flint and citrus aromas with a saline lift. Around twenty to twenty-five percent new oak and malolactic fermentation add subtle creaminess. The palate is elegant and complex, driven by lemon-lime brightness and firm minerality. Built to age and a clear standout.
“La Clairière”, AOP Saint-Chinian, Blanc 2024
Vermentino 65%, Grenache Blanc 35%. From an appellation better known for its reds. Lemon, lime and peach over mineral depth, vibrant acidity and white-flower lift. The parcel sits in the midst of a pine forest, which the wine evokes with graceful freshness. A favourite.
“Sous la Falaise”, AOC Languedoc Pic-Saint-Loup, 2023
Syrah 65%, Grenache Noir 30%, Mourvèdre 4%, Cinsault 1%. Red berries, mineral notes and a touch of salinity. Lively acidity and a savoury, elegant palate that is wonderfully refreshing.
“Le Sarrat”, Côtes du Roussillon Villages Latour-de-France, 2023
Syrah 70%, Grenache Noir 30% From dry, low-yielding schist and clay-limestone parcels. Blackberry, dark cherry and spice on a powerful, full-bodied frame with polished tannins and herbal nuance. Concentrated, structured and couture.
Grenache Gris “Chemin Sainte-Colombe” Selection Parcellaire, 2023
From 80-year-old goblet-trained vines. Saline, citrus-driven and floral, with meadow aromatics and a poised, elegant line. Since 2024 a portion has matured in amphora for added texture.
Syrah “La Lause” Selection Parcellaire, IGP Pays d’Oc, 2023
Still youthful, with tannin in balance. Dark cherry, blackberry compote, vanilla and a hint of coconut evolve toward a savoury, flinty finish. Promises graceful development.
Availability in the UK
Currently, only two Abbotts & Delaunay wines are available in the UK, both through Majestic, including Majestic Commercial for the on-trade. These are the AOP Languedoc Blanc 2024 and the AOP Languedoc Rouge 2023. The estate wines are not yet imported, although opportunities in the premium on-trade are being explored.
Abbotts & Delaunay offers a compelling example of how precision and thoughtful experimentation can elevate the Languedoc’s terroirs. The couture analogy holds because the detail is real, from parcel selection to sensitive pressing and adapted élevage. As the region continues its move toward premiumisation, Jeanne Delaunay is shaping a brand that demonstrates what the next chapter of Languedoc quality may look like.
