Château Guilhem

Located in the heart of the Languedoc region and operating in the Malepère appellation, Château Guilhem is a property with a rich history that has been passed down from father to daughter or from mother to son within the family for five generations. True reflections of the Languedoc terroir, the wines of the house stand out for their character and freshness.

A family heritage that continues

The creation of Château Guilhem dates back to the end of the 18th century with its construction by the Marquis Edmond d'Auberjeon for his son Edouard. The latter cultivated the land for a long time before selling it to Léon Pariot, a merchant in Limoux. The latter exploited the estate, which at the time covered more than 250 hectares dedicated in part to the vine, for twenty years before passing on his estate to his son-in-law, Paul Guilhem, who later gave his name to the property.

It was he, later joined by his son Jacques, who was responsible for the first works on the château which made it what it is today. He created the cellar and modernized the vineyard in which Jacques then undertook to plant so-called "improver" grape varieties, i.e. merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and malbec, the king grape variety of the region. It was one of the precursors of the Languedoc vineyard, participating largely in its fame and notoriety.

In the 1980's, his daughter, Brigitte, took over the reins of the domain by creating an oenology laboratory in order to sharpen her technical skills. Today, it is his son Bertrand who runs the estate, accompanied by his wife Anne-Sophie. He has been a major actor in the evolution of the Malepère appellation which obtained the AOC certification in 2007. Converted to organic farming since 2010, the estate now exports its wines to more than twenty countries, participating in the recognition of the region's wine heritage in the world.

A terroir respected by a passionate team

The estate, which today covers 35 hectares, has been 100% organically farmed since 2010. It is through this respect for the terroir that the Château Guilhem team manages to elaborate such singular vintages that wonderfully reflect all the typicity of the Malepère AOC region. The clay-limestone slopes of the estate are at a high altitude, in direct proximity to the Pyrenees. It is this elevation, supplemented by the sea currents from the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, that cools the hot atmosphere to which the vines are subjected during the summer months in the South West.

These elements make the region a privileged terroir for the cultivation of vines and the Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc grape varieties that have been planted there by Château Guilhem. All of these characteristics contribute to making the wines of the house the nuggets they are today.

Raced wines with marked aromas

Château Guilhem vinifies wines in all three colors and also offers its fans bubbles, particularly through its Éclat de Brut vintage.

The red wines of the house express all the typicality of the terroir, both fresh but also imbued with a Mediterranean personality that warms them and gives them body and elegance.

As for the white wines, they surprise by the balance that characterizes them, between minerality and aromatic power, which makes them wines of character.

Finally, the rosé, a specialty of the house, delights the taste buds of its tasters with fruity flavors, characteristic of rosés de saignée.