Colonized by the Greeks who set up warehouses, Languedoc under the Romans becomes the great "province" of Gaul : Narbonnaise populates itself with villas; one of them was situated on the would-be site of St Jean de Bebian, as proven by samples of Roman pottery, Coins and a few marble plaques fallen off of some funeral urns.
The monks who arrived at Bebian in the 11th C. left many traces: one of the oldest Roman chapels in the Languedoc region (1150); a 12th C. tower and a building which displays 15th C., 16th C. and 17th C. architecture. It has been established that beginning in the year 1152, the monks of Prieuré de Saint Jean de Bebian bought vines in the surrounding area and so started to build up the Domaine.
After the revolution and the departure of the Monks, Saint Jean de Bébian was sold as a National Asset. It fell in the hands of only three owners up until the Second World War - all winegrowers.
In 1954, Maurice Roux bought
the estate. His grandson Alain Roux would, as of 1970, put it through fundamental
changes. Noble varieties of grapes were planted : syrah, grenache, mourvèdre.
He carefully preserved the existing Mediterranean plants (Cinsault, Carignan).
Thanks to him the Domaine today has vines that are more than 70 years old.
He also introduced the traditional grape-varieties of Châteauneuf du Pape: roussane,
marsanne, clairette, cournoise, bourboulenc, grenache gris....
Prieuré de Saint Jean de Bebian
was sold in 1994 to Chantal Lecouty and Jean-Claude Le Brun, former
managers of the Revue du Vin de France, who intend to continue the work
of Alain Roux: the production of high quality mediterranean wines.
