Château Guilhem Pot de Vin 2022

Château Guilhem is a family-owned wine estate located in Malviès, in the Malepère region of western Languedoc, France. Built in 1791 by Marquis Edmond d'Auberjeon, the property was acquired by the Guilhem family in 1902 when Paul Guilhem, a lawyer in Carcassonne, purchased the estate from his father-in-law Léon Pariot. Paul Guilhem renovated both the château and its cellars, giving the property its current appearance.

Jacques Guilhem, Paul's son, expanded the estate's viticultural focus in the mid-20th century by planting Bordeaux varieties including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. He participated in establishing the cahier des charges for the region's VDQS designation and became the first producer to bottle and sell wine directly from the estate. During the 1980s, his daughter Brigitte created an oenology laboratory in Limoux while managing the estate and exporting over 100,000 bottles to 10 countries.

Bertrand Gourdou, the fifth generation, has managed Château Guilhem since 2004. He played an instrumental role in the Malepère appellation achieving AOC status in 2007 and converted the entire estate to certified organic agriculture in 2010. Today, the property sells over 350,000 bottles annually in more than 20 countries.

The estate encompasses 35 hectares of vineyards planted on clay-limestone slopes facing south and southwest on the Malepère massif, at elevations between 250 and 400 meters. The vineyard composition includes Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. Some parcels are farmed biodynamically. The terroir benefits from a unique combination of Atlantic and Mediterranean climatic influences, with calcareous sandstone soils that retain winter moisture. This geological characteristic, along with proximity to the Pyrenees, distinguishes Malepère wines from other Languedoc appellations, earning the region the nickname "the other Languedoc" for its focus on Atlantic grape varieties.

Pays d'Oc IGP is France's largest wine designation by volume, covering approximately 120,000 hectares across the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. Established in 1987 as Vin de Pays d'Oc and redesignated as IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) in 2009, the region spans four departments: Aude, Gard, Hérault, and Pyrénées-Orientales, plus six communes in southern Lozère. The designation permits 58 grape varieties, with most wines produced as single-varietal bottlings requiring a minimum 85% of the stated grape.

Malepère is a specific subregion within western Languedoc, located immediately southwest of Carcassonne. This 500-hectare appellation achieved VDQS status as Côtes de la Malepère in 1983 and was elevated to AOC Malepère in 2007. The region occupies the westernmost position in Languedoc, distinguished by its unique combination of Atlantic and Mediterranean climatic influences. Vineyards are planted on clay-limestone slopes at elevations between 250 and 400 meters on the Malepère massif, where proximity to the Pyrenees contributes mineral character to the wines.

The Malepère name derives from "mala peyra" in Occitan, meaning "bad stone," referring to crumbly calcareous sandstone unsuitable for construction but beneficial for viticulture. These soils retain winter moisture, allowing vines to flourish during dry summers. The region's climate features hot, dry summers and mild winters, with cooling influences from the Montagne Noire.

Malepère regulations require red wines to contain minimum 40% Merlot combined with at least 20% Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Permitted varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, and Cinsault, though Syrah is excluded from red blends. This Atlantic-influenced grape composition distinguishes Malepère from typical Mediterranean Languedoc appellations, earning the nickname "the other Languedoc." The region encompasses 39 municipalities producing primarily red and rosé wines, with approximately 930 independent producers and 150 cooperatives farming Pays d'Oc IGP vineyards throughout the broader region.