Our property is located in the Albinie geological cirque (crater). To the west of the administrative center - Salles la Source, which is a magnificent landscape hewn naturally from limestone with a majestic waterfall - we find two other cirques; on the western extremity is La Roque with its own striking waterfall. In the middle of it all is Albinie, which does not boast a waterfall, but a steady flow of excellent wine!
Albinie was once a village; the 1866 census recorded seven homes and fifty-five inhabitants. The first wine cellar, almost prehistoric, was created in 1724. After the crisis, around 1950, the village emptied out and all that remained was a single house with its cellar and wine-press. Any remaining vines were sorely neglected.
Today at Albinie, three growers cultivate their vines, two of which have planted exclusively in clay and limestone soil.
Domaine du Marci is the only Albinie estate with its own buildings, which we lovingly nudged out of the past in 2006 with extensive renovations, all intended to create a vineyard respecting tradition and our exacting standards.
Perched above our vines and below the limestone plateau, facing south, our home takes in an expansive view of the verdant valley, vines and forests, safe from the winds that bluster above.
In 1772 along the roadway linking Marcillac to Rodez, a postal relay was built for stagecoaches to change horses and allow passengers to rest up. To ensure adequate supplies of wine for this constant traffic, an enormous wine-press was installed next to the relay, where it stayed until 1975.
The proprietor of the relay, who generously pressed and shared his wine, was bestowed with the nickname “Le Marci”. We’ve borrowed his nickname for our property, in honor of this notable predecessor.
