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Domaine Ampelous
Domaine Ampelous in Caunes-Minervois: AOP Minervois reds by Pascal Guillemier, direct from the estate...
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Discover Domaine Ampelous in photos
Domaine Ampelous: the Burgundy spirit in Cathar country, in the Minervois
Domaine Ampelous
A 20-hectare estate in Caunes-Minervois (Aude), in AOP Minervois and IGP Pays d'Oc, at the foot of the Montagne Noire. Run by Pascal Guillemier, a winegrower trained over thirty years in Burgundy: reasoned viticulture, HVE level 3 and plot-by-plot vinification. Seven reds - Derriere chez Marie, Chez Clovis, Dimidium, Petit Merlin - to discover direct.
Thirty years of Burgundy in the hands, and the urge, one morning, to start everything again from scratch - elsewhere, further south, on soils and grapes to be relearned from end to end. It is that decision that gave birth to Domaine Ampelous, on a garrigue promontory facing the Montagne Noire. Pascal Guillemier seeks there what he has always sought: taste, respect for the place, the expression of each grape, and wines to share without ceremony.
A Burgundian who chose the Minervois
Pascal Guillemier did not arrive in the Aude by chance, and certainly not by default. He had behind him more than three decades in renowned Burgundy houses: enough to end a career quietly. He did the opposite - to take over an estate, his own this time, and set it up where no one expected him. It took him more than two years of searching before finding the place able to answer his questions: Caunes-Minervois, a village of red marble backed onto the Montagne Noire, about twenty kilometres north-east of Carcassonne. A 20-hectare estate, set on a knoll, with a 360-degree open horizon: on days of fine light, the Pyrenees range appears in the distance.
A terroir of stones, at the foot of the Montagne Noire
The Minervois area leans on the Montagne Noire and descends in a wide amphitheatre facing south down to the Aude valley. The estate's vines, well exposed and frankly stony, grow on clay-limestone soils laden with stones - marble, schist, pebbles depending on the plots - which limit vigour: few grapes per vine, but dense grapes, hence the concentration of the wines.
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The soil first, a plot-by-plot vinification
From his arrival, Pascal Guillemier resumed ploughing. Mechanical soil work, vines grown under reasoned viticulture, no easy solution: it is slower, more demanding, but it is what keeps life beneath the rows and forces the roots to descend. The estate is certified High Environmental Value level 3, the most demanding degree of this public certification. It is probably in the vinification that the Burgundy heritage shows best: from his first harvest, Pascal chose to vinify and age each grape and each plot separately. The grapes are destemmed, maceration lasts twenty-eight days, then the wines are aged in temperature-controlled tank from three to ten months depending on the cuvee. No wood: the choice is fruit and terroir, without make-up.
The cuvees of Domaine Ampelous
Seven cuvees, all red: four in AOP Minervois and three in IGP Pays d'Oc, each from plots vinified separately. At Ampelous, a label name first of all designates a precise place, from the hand-harvested old Carignan to the wine of immediate pleasure.
Derrière chez Marie
AOP Minervois, red (Syrah & Carignan)
An old Carignan of around 80 years and a young Syrah of 25 years, on a gentle north-west-facing slope of silt and small pebbles. The old Carignans are hand-harvested, the Syrah by machine; destemming, twenty-eight days of maceration and three months of ageing in tank. Stewed black fruits, violet and a subtle liquorice note, on a virile frame. To drink from the first year or to keep for a few years.
Chez Clovis
AOP Minervois, red (Grenache & Carignan)
Grenache on a north-west slope, Carignan in a south-facing hollow; two 43-year-old plots on marble, schist and pebbles. Destemming, twenty-eight days of maceration and three months in tank. A dark, bright robe, balsamic notes and an unctuousness born of concentration. A red that stays young for two to three years, with traditional or contemporary cooking.
Dimidium
AOP Minervois, red (50% Carignan, 50% Syrah)
Its name is Latin for « half »: fifty percent Carignan, fifty percent Syrah, on silt and sand. Destemming, twenty-eight days of maceration and ten months of ageing in tank. Raspberry aromas and a spicy touch, a round, supple wine with harmonious tannins. To enjoy from the first year or to forget for five to six years in the cellar.
Chez Pujol
AOP Minervois, red (Carignan & Syrah)
Carignan-dominant lifted by a hint of Syrah, on a south-facing plot sheltered to the north by a copse of holm oaks and garrigue. Silt and sand, destemming, twenty-eight days of maceration, ten months in tank. A rustic red with notes of garrigue and leather, cut out for traditional cooking. To drink young or to keep for five to six years.
Petit Merlin
IGP Pays d'Oc, red (100% Merlot)
One hundred percent Merlot, on a sun-drenched south-east plateau, 22-year-old vines, silt and rolled pebbles. Destemming, twenty-eight days of maceration, ageing in temperature-controlled tank. A fresh, generous wine, red fruits and blackcurrant bursting on the palate over a subtle floral note. Grilled meats, fish and simmered dishes; keeps four to eight years.
Petit Clovis
IGP Pays d'Oc, red (Grenache & Carignan)
A 10-year-old Grenache and a 51-year-old Carignan, facing south, on silt, sand and pebbles. Destemming, twenty-eight days of maceration, three months of ageing in tank. A bright robe, red fruits and garrigue, an ample, long palate. It stays young for two to three years and pairs with traditional as well as contemporary cooking.
Cinsault
IGP Pays d'Oc, red (100% Cinsault)
One hundred percent Cinsault, on a south-east plateau ringed by holm oaks and pines, old 48-year-old vines, silt soil. Destemming, twenty-eight days of maceration, ageing in tank. A wine all in freshness, red fruits and cherry; summer cooking, fish and desserts. To drink within three to four years.
Direct - Minervois, HVE 3, plot-by-plot vinification
Why choose Domaine Ampelous?
Know-how from elsewhere. Thirty years of Burgundy applied to carignan and syrah, in plot-by-plot vinification.
Seven cuvees, all red. Four AOP Minervois and three IGP Pays d'Oc, from the hand-harvested old Carignan to the wine of immediate pleasure.
A responsible approach. Vines under reasoned viticulture, estate certified HVE level 3: a commitment verified, not declared.
A recognised signature. One star in the Guide Hachette des Vins 2025 for Derriere chez Marie 2022.
Frequently asked questions about Domaine Ampelous
Where is Domaine Ampelous located?
Domaine Ampelous is a 20-hectare property in AOP Minervois, set at the Sainte-Marie place-name, in Caunes-Minervois (Aude), at the foot of the Montagne Noire, about twenty kilometres north-east of Carcassonne. The estate sits on a knoll, with a 360-degree open horizon and, on days of fine light, the Pyrenees range in the distance.
Who is Pascal Guillemier, the winegrower of Domaine Ampelous?
Pascal Guillemier is a winegrower of Burgundy origin. With more than thirty years of experience in renowned Burgundy houses, he chose to start everything again from scratch, further south, and created Domaine Ampelous in the Minervois. He applies a constant demand there: taste, respect for the place and the expression of each grape.
Is Domaine Ampelous an organic estate?
The estate is not certified in organic farming: the vines are grown under reasoned viticulture (lutte raisonnee) and the estate is certified High Environmental Value level 3 (HVE 3), the most demanding degree of this public certification, which assesses the whole estate (biodiversity, input management, fertilisation, water use). So there is no 'organic' claim, but a verified environmental commitment.
What is the terroir of Domaine Ampelous?
The Minervois area leans on the Montagne Noire, the southern tip of the Massif Central, and descends in a wide amphitheatre facing south down to the Aude valley. The estate's vines, well exposed and frankly stony, grow on clay-limestone soils laden with stones (marble, schist, pebbles depending on the plots), which limits vigour and concentrates the grapes.
Which grape varieties does Domaine Ampelous grow?
The estate grows five grapes: carignan, syrah, grenache noir, cinsault and merlot. Grenache noir brings warmth and roundness, syrah richness and fruit aromas, cinsault finesse and carignan body and tannins. Some vines are over forty years old, others, in carignan, approach eighty.
What are the cuvees of Domaine Ampelous?
The estate makes seven cuvees, all red: four in AOP Minervois - Derriere chez Marie (Syrah and Carignan), Chez Clovis (Grenache and Carignan), Dimidium (50% Carignan, 50% Syrah) and Chez Pujol (Carignan and Syrah) - and three in IGP Pays d'Oc - Petit Merlin (100% Merlot), Petit Clovis (Grenache and Carignan) and Cinsault (100% Cinsault). At Ampelous, a label first of all designates a precise place.
What is the Derrière chez Marie cuvee?
Derriere chez Marie is an AOP Minervois red (35 hL/ha) born on a gentle north-west-facing slope of silt and small pebbles. It blends an old Carignan of around 80 years, hand-harvested, with a young 25-year-old Syrah. Destemming, twenty-eight days of maceration and three months of ageing in tank: stewed black fruits, violet and a subtle liquorice note. This cuvee was awarded one star in the Guide Hachette des Vins 2025 for the 2022 vintage.
What is the Chez Clovis cuvee?
Chez Clovis is an AOP Minervois red (35 hL/ha) from a Grenache on a north-west slope and a Carignan in a south-facing hollow, two 43-year-old plots on marble, schist and pebbles. Destemming, twenty-eight days of maceration, three months in tank: a dark, bright robe, balsamic notes and an unctuousness born of concentration. It stays young for two to three years and pairs with traditional or contemporary cooking.
What are the IGP Pays d'Oc wines of Domaine Ampelous?
The estate makes three red IGP Pays d'Oc. Petit Merlin (100% Merlot, 25 hL/ha, 22-year-old vines) is fresh and generous, on red fruit and blackcurrant, and keeps four to eight years. Petit Clovis (Grenache and Carignan, 25 hL/ha) blends red fruits and garrigue, to drink within two to three years. Cinsault (100% Cinsault, 30 hL/ha, old 48-year-old vines) is all in freshness, on cherry, ideal with summer cooking, to drink within three to four years.
What is plot-by-plot vinification?
From his first harvest, Pascal Guillemier chose to vinify and age each grape and each plot separately, rather than bringing everything together in tank. Two neighbouring plots do not give the same wine; blending only comes at the end, with full knowledge. The grapes are destemmed, maceration lasts twenty-eight days, then the wines are aged in temperature-controlled tank from three to ten months depending on the cuvee. No wood: the choice is fruit and terroir.
Are the Domaine Ampelous wines for keeping?
It depends on the cuvees. Cinsault is drunk within three to four years and Petit Merlin keeps four to eight years; Chez Clovis and Petit Clovis stay young for two to three years; Dimidium and Chez Pujol can wait five to six years; Derriere chez Marie can be enjoyed from the first year or after a few years of cellar (the Guide Hachette places the 2022 vintage between 2026 and 2030). All are aged in tank, with no passage under wood.
Can the Domaine Ampelous wines be bought directly?
Yes: the wines of Domaine Ampelous are bought here directly, with no extra middleman, with shipping across France and the European countries eligible for delivery. You receive Minervois wines just as Pascal Guillemier vinified them, plot by plot, between the estate and your table.
Minervois, direct from the winegrower
Domaine Ampelous: a 20-hectare estate in Caunes-Minervois (Aude), at the Sainte-Marie place-name, at the foot of the Montagne Noire, about twenty kilometres from Carcassonne, in AOP Minervois and IGP Pays d'Oc. Run by Pascal Guillemier, a winegrower trained over thirty years in Burgundy. Clay-limestone soils laden with stones (marble, schist, pebbles), silt and sand, old vines from 40 to 80 years. Vines under reasoned viticulture, HVE level 3 certification. Plot-by-plot vinification, destemmed harvest, 28-day maceration, ageing in tank from 3 to 10 months depending on the cuvee, no wood.
Cuvees (all red): Derriere chez Marie, Chez Clovis, Dimidium, Chez Pujol (AOP Minervois); Petit Merlin, Petit Clovis, Cinsault (IGP Pays d'Oc) - grapes carignan, syrah, grenache, cinsault, merlot