Domaine Hors Ciel is the work of two people who met over a shared love of fermentation: Victor Gourreau, who grew up in the Minervois, and Emma Olson, an American he met during a baking internship in Portland.
Backstory
Victor comes from a family of winemakers and has been drawn to viticulture since childhood. He spent years in Italy working in sommellery and wine tourism, and explored fermentation through brewing and baking. After meeting Emma, the couple moved to the south of France, experimented with their first wines in 2019, and in 2021 bought three hectares of Mourvedre to found the domaine.
The Region
The estate is based in Montouliers, in the Minervois of the Languedoc. The vineyards span two distinct terroirs: clay and sandstone slopes around Montouliers planted with old Mourvedre, Carignan and Grenache, and the limestone plateau of Saint-Jean-de-Minervois, home to Muscat Petit Grain and Cinsault.
Vineyards and Farming
The couple farm organically and biodynamically, with a focus on old vines and native varieties. Everything from harvest to bottling is done by hand, and they prune gently, following the sap pathways of each vine.
Winemaking
Fermentation relies entirely on indigenous yeasts, with no additives. The aim is to find renewal and subtlety in ancestral grapes, with minimal sulfur and a light touch throughout.
The Wines
The range includes FLWR, a Muscat orange wine, and The Dark Side of the Mourvedre, a light-extraction red, alongside other expressive, low-intervention cuvees.
