Domaine Ampelous, the Burgundy spirit in Cathar country

In Caunes-Minervois, Domaine Ampelous carries a simple idea: the Burgundy spirit in Cathar country. Winegrowers from Burgundy took over 18.5 hectares here in 2018, with everything to rebuild, and now make Minervois with the rigour and precision they learned on Burgundy's Côte.

How would you describe Domaine Ampelous?

Burgundians settled in the Minervois since 2018

Domaine Ampelous spreads over 18.5 hectares in Caunes-Minervois, at the foot of the Montagne Noire. Burgundians by origin, its winegrowers took it over in 2018: everything had to be rebuilt, with no cellar, but with vines already in place and in good condition.

We make our wines the way we learned in Burgundy. Hence our motto: the Burgundy spirit in Cathar country.

This double culture, that of Burgundy and that of the Languedoc, gives the estate its identity: northern precision at the service of southern grapes.

When did you catch the wine bug?

An apprenticeship begun at fourteen

The calling is an old one. The taste for wine took hold very early, as soon as the apprenticeship began, at the age of fourteen. A craftsman's passion born in the field, before it became an estate project.

From that early apprenticeship, the estate keeps a sense of the gesture and a demand for work well done, then carried through every stage from the vine to the cellar.

What philosophy guides your work in the vines and the cellar?

Respect the vine, then listen, watch and smell in the cellar

Everything starts with the vine and its environment. Without that respect, nothing is possible: it is the foundation of the work at Domaine Ampelous.

Without respect for the vine and its environment, nothing is possible. And in the cellar: listen, watch, smell.

In the cellar, the approach stays hands-on and sensory. The wine is accompanied rather than forced, in tune with each cuvée and each vintage.

Which wine best represents your estate?

"Derrière Chez Marie", a Minervois blend

The cuvée that best embodies the estate is the AOP Minervois "Derrière Chez Marie". It shows the appellation's blending tradition, carried here by Syrah and Carignan, the estate's favourite grapes.

At the table, these wines love generosity: cooked dishes in winter, a fine rib of beef in summer. The estate also makes another AOP Minervois cuvée, "Dimidium", which its winegrowers gladly open among friends.

What are your ambitions for the estate?

A Chardonnay planted in the Minervois, a nod to Burgundy

The current project says everything about the estate's spirit: a plot of Chardonnay was planted this year, to soon make a white in Minervois country.

A gesture that links the estate's two worlds, Burgundy's king grape set on southern soils. The next step of an adventure that moves forward one season at a time.

Why follow Domaine Ampelous?

Burgundian precision at the service of the Minervois

Following Domaine Ampelous means supporting a sincere project: that of winegrowers who rebuilt everything from 2018 to reveal their Minervois terroir. What drives them each morning comes down to one image.

What motivates me is to see the vineyard grow and to help it grow.

That is the whole story: an estate that grows with its vines, between the memory of Burgundy and the light of Cathar country.

Why buy directly from the winemaker? The wines of Domaine Ampelous are shipped straight from the estate: estate prices with no middleman, vintage traceability and support for a family of winegrowers committed to its terroir.

Explore the cuvées of Domaine Ampelous directly from the estate, at estate prices, through the short supply chain on Avenue des Vins.

The wines of Domaine Ampelous: direct from the estate, at the estate price, with no middleman. See the wines →

Frequently asked questions about Domaine Ampelous

Where is Domaine Ampelous located?

The estate is in Caunes-Minervois, at the foot of the Montagne Noire, and spreads over 18.5 hectares in AOP Minervois.

Who are the winegrowers of Domaine Ampelous?

Winegrowers originally from Burgundy, who took over the estate in 2018 and make Minervois using the methods learned on the Côte, hence their motto "the Burgundy spirit in Cathar country".

Which grapes does Domaine Ampelous grow?

Mainly Syrah and Carignan, the flagship grapes of AOP Minervois, an appellation with a blending tradition. A plot of Chardonnay has also been planted recently.