The vineyard is located in Haulchin, between Binche and Mons, at a place known as “Les Agaises”. This hillside, very rich in limestone and with south exposure, is where Lord Jean Ruffus reigned in the 12th century.
Back in 2002, at a time when Belgian viticulture was quite private, the first two hectares of Chardonnay grape variety were planted on the unique terroir of the “Terres Blanches” or white lands, name given by the calcareous white soil.
Particularly, the estate was the very first winery in Wallonia with the aim to exclusively produce sparkling wines. The property is equally at the forefront of the wine-growing revival in Belgium and has gradually expanded to reach more than 40 hectares today, becoming the largest vineyard in the Kingdom.
Later on, in 2015, the Vignoble des Agaises received the title of “Chevalier du Mérite Wallon” or Knight of Walloon Merit, “for having brought honor to the Wallonia region and contributed to its influence”.
Furthermore, in 2022, Raymond Leroy was elected Belgian Wine Personality of the Year by Vinopres.
The team
In 2001, Raymond Leroy, a wine merchant in Binche (also an amateur winemaker since 1981 at Clos des Mouligneaux, in Belgium), approached Etienne Delbeke, a farmer in Haulchin, with the idea to plant vines on his hillside, the white lands of Agaises. Afterward, Thierry Gobillard, a Champagne winegrower whose champagne wines Raymond imported from France to Belgium, confirms the quality of the lands and agrees to share his winemaking know-how. Michel Wanty and Joël Hugé, friends of Raymond, completed the team that will create the Vignoble des Agaises in the spring of 2002.
Bertrand Demoustier (2003) and Glawdys Oostens (2008) will be the first two horticultural workers in the constantly growing field. Prior to that, they were trained in pruning in the Champagne region of France. They have never left the vineyard, and they are the support of the newcomers.
Meanwhile, Arnaud (2009) and John (2010) Leroy, Raymond’s two sons, joined the team shortly after their studies. The first, with a degree in computer science and sommelier (University of Suze-La-Rousse) is the one in charge of communication and marketing. The second, a winemaker (University of Bordeaux) became cellar master alongside Thierry Gobillard.
Moreover, Emile Delbeke (2019) was 5 years old when the vines were planted on his family lands. He grew up with them and joined the team once he graduated (horticultural management in Ath). With Etienne, his father, they are responsible for viticulture, guaranteeing the quality of the grapes.
Eric Pécrials (2019) and Benjamin Segers (2020) complete the horticultural team of Bertrand and Glawdys. Ludovic Minette (2020) and Africa Pino (2021) are the latest arrivals, respectively to logistics and wine tourism services. With a 35 hectare playground and 70,000 visitors per year, they don’t really have time to get bored.
