Our Family Estate

The Malepère is a region with a long history. Indeed, it has been shaped by the Roman occupation and shaken by religion wars and Catharism, the latter still occupying a significant place in the local landscape. Crops have always been cultivated on this land, thus encouraging the development of trade. It is from the XVIIth century and onwards that the number of vineyards increased in the Aude territory, and therefore, in Malepère.
It is in this context, in 1791, that the Marquis of Auberjon bought land from the Saint-Benoit Abbey after the French Revolution, in order to build a Directoire style Castle on what was once a Gallo-Roman stronghold. What is now Château Guilhem was built.
In 1878, the Guilhem family took over the vineyards and winery; and it is now Bertrand, representing the fifth generation, that pursues the family tradition.

The land

The Malepère constitutes in itself a unique ecologic entity, well known of the botanists: here the holm oak is king. This great diversity is the expression of its climate of transition: the Mediterranean dominant, characteristic attribute of the Languedoc region, is greatly softened by the humid oceanic influences coming from the West.

One of the Malepère’s other peculiarities lays in its geology. Indeed, the soil, named after its upland, is atypical, as it is composed of calcareous sandstones. These sandstones hold the moisture during the winter, allowing the plants to flourish during the summer, thanks to a good water supply. This characteristic enables the vine plants to produce grapes of an exceptional quality.

The wines of Malepère distinguish themselves from the other wines from Languedoc with varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernets Sauvignon, which are to be found traditionally near the Atlantic Ocean. Brought during the 70s and still being grown today, they are proof of an excellent acclimatization on this very particular terroir.

Château Guilhem thrives on this land, with its sandstones hills, and benefits from the south south-east exposure. All these parameters together create a unique location to produce fresh, elegant and aromatic wines.

Our Philosophy

By his side stand Catherine, the oenologist of the winery, and Hugues, who is in charge of the vineyards. Together, they represent the foundations of what is Château Guilhem and, vintage after vintage, endeavour to make great wines. It is a human-sized estate, with 35 hectares of vineyards grown according to organic farming methods with the utmost respect of human beings and grapes. This philosophy is part of the desire to be as close as possible to the vines. Requiring an unfailing attention, this process brings up the best out of the plants, with excellent grapes being harvested each year.