A former hospital commandery founded in the 12th century and transformed in the 19th century into a fancy fortress, the Château Saint-Jean-de-Grézan, now called the Château de Grézan, has been listed as a historic monument since 22 July 1993.
Of considerable size, surrounded by crenellated ramparts, this complex is located in Laurens, in the Hérault.
A bit of history...
Château Grézan was originally a Roman villa, the home of a centurion. It later attracted pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela.
From the end of the 12th century to 1307, the Order of the Knights Templar established commanderies throughout Europe, including one in Grézan. These commanderies were land establishments that made it possible, in particular, to recover funds intended to finance the crusades in the Holy Land.
On Friday 13 October 1307, by order of King Philip the Fair, the Knights Templar were arrested, the order was dissolved in 1312, and Grézan became a commandery of the Hospitaller Order.
The old building was rebuilt between 1820 and 1888, then completely remodelled in 1890.
The vast medieval-inspired enclosure of several hundred metres only dates from the end of the 19th century. Designed by Gabriel Mirepoix and built by the architect Louis Garros, Gabriel Mirepoix would then say to him "Make me Carcassonne".
The building has a style of medieval inspiration and now hosts various cultural events, rooms for rent and reception rooms.
The wine estate
Château de Grézan is today a very popular wine estate in the region.
My family's wine-growing history began five generations ago, in 1877, on a very small parcel of Carignan between Autignac and Laurens," explains Fabien Pujol. It was worked with the help of a donkey and a horse, and the harvest was vinified at the back of the family home by Jules-Anatole Cros, known as Costant, and his wife Anna, the family's first winegrowers.
My father, Jean-Louis, took over as head of Château Grézan nearly thirty years ago. Since then we have expressed through our products the very essence of the wines of Faugères and the great Languedoc appellations by offering wine lovers a simple and qualitative offer.
Produced from selected grapes, the Château Grézan and Cros-Pujol family ranges combine respect for ancestral winemaking traditions with an openness towards modernity ".
Château Grézan combines technique and tradition, some selected plots are hand-picked for the great vintages (Schistes Dorés, Chardonnay Tête de cuvée, Héritage).
The grapes harvested in this way will be used for the greatest vintages of Château de Grézan.
For the "Schistes Dorés" cuvée, the grapes are transported in crates.
A manual sorting is carried out on arrival, followed by a complete vinification in demi muid.
The Château de Grézan - Art & Culture Centre
In 2012, the property was divided into two separate entities, with the Cros-Pujol family retaining the vineyard and the part of its activity and the new owners, Hans Schellenberg and Katarina Orvedal, the whole building and park where they created an Art & Culture Centre.
With a maximum capacity of 150 people, the Château de Grézan - Centre Art & Culture offers several rental formulas ranging from a reception room to three rooms, including or not the main courtyard, the terrace of the château and the park.
Château Grézan
RD 909
34480 Laurens
Tél. : 04 67 90 27 46
Centre Art & Culture,
Château Saint-Jean de Grézan,
34480 Laurens
Tél. : 07 68 98 12 28
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