2 days discovering Cabardès & Malepère wines in Languedoc
Base yourself in Languedoc’s famous medieval city of Carcassonne and explore the little-known wines of the nearby Cabardès and Malepère vineyards
Vineyards in Malepère, Domaine le Fort - Source: Wine Keller
Carcassone is the world-famous, best conserved medieval fortress and fortified city in Europe and if you haven’t visited before - you need to put that right!! You enter the city walls by way of the Porte Narbonnaise and feel like you’ve been transported back to the 13th century! Carcassonne is situated in the French départment of Aude, in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region of South-West France, popularly referred to as just ‘Languedoc’, which is translated as ‘Language of Oc’ (used to be the predominant language in the region). Much of Languedoc is ‘Cathar country’ and as such there are many incredible towns, cities, villages and historic monuments that witnessed the sieges and massacres that marked the area's turbulent history in and around the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
So not only does it have a fascinating history, there’s lots to do and see, the traditional cuisine is hearty and full-bodied, just like its wines and the sun is shining most of the time! Carcassonne is a fabulous wine tourism destination as there’s something for everyone and it makes a great base for exploring the Languedoc’s famous vineyards.
We took 2 days out to visit 2 lesser known, but highly recommended French wine appellations (AOCs) - Cabardès and Malepère - read all about our trip below!
France’s Languedoc-Roussillon wine region
Languedoc-Roussillon is a vast French wine region and is split into 3 sub-wine regions - Western Languedoc, Eastern Languedoc and Roussillon, stretching along the Mediterranean coast, close to the border with Spain. Carcassonne and the vineyards of Cabardès and Malepère are situated in Western Languedoc.
Languedoc-Roussillon features a typical Mediterranean climate but the climate in the western parts is slightly cooler and moister than the rest of the region, influenced more by the Atlantic. This in turn influences the style of the wines made here, which tend to be slightly more elegant and a little less alcoholic than in other, hotter, drier areas.
In more recent years, many new vignerons have moved to Languedoc-Roussillon, due in part to the excellent ‘terroir’, but also because there is much opportunity to create distinctive, great quality and excellent value for money wines. Languedoc wines are gaining awareness and popularity around the world, creating real competition for popular ‘New World’ wines as well as other more famous French wines!
Cabardès vineyards and wines
The Cabardès vineyards are located north of Carcassonne, representing just approximately 600 hectares of vines. It has been a Languedoc AOC since 1999 and is unusual in that it is the only French appellation requiring that Mediterranean grapes - eg Syrah, Grenache are combined with Atlantic/Bordeaux grapes - eg Cabernet sauvignon, Merlot. The unusual mix of terroirs and climates here, influenced by the proximity of both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean means that these different types of grapes can all flourish. The resulting mostly red and rosé wines are highly distinctive and tend to last well, which again tends to be unusual for this part of France. Cabardès is characterised by a small number of independent vignerons.
Our visit to Château de Pennautier
Château de Pennautier, just 2km outside Carcassonne, is owned and managed by ‘Maison Lorgeril’, a family business dating back to 1620. This beautiful French château is the family’s historical birthplace and the centre of a business which today, led by Nicolas and Miren de Lorgeril, includes 6 separate wine estates across the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region in the the South West of France.
Lorgeril estate wines
The Lorgeril family farms some 300 hectares of vineyards spread over 9 different AOC wine regions in some of the best terroirs in southern France, in Languedoc-Roussillon. They also purchase wine from other winemakers in the region and mature and bottle it under their label, in order to be able to offer a really broad range of both single varietals and blends from this special wine region - wines which are typically rich and elegant, but not overly powerful.
In the Cabardès AOC region, wines are made from a blend of Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah and Grenache grapes for reds and rosés and Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Viognier grapes for the whites. Cabardès vineyards are located at 3 different Lorgeril estates: Château de Pennautier, Château de Caunettes and Domaine de Garille. Château de Pennautier has been following organic practises since 2019.
Château de Pennautier - a range of wine tourism activities
Château de Pennautier and wine tourism options. Source: Lorgeril
After the short drive from Carcassonne we spent half a day at the lovely Château de Pennautier, but we could have easily made it a full day as there’s lots on offer for the wine tourist!
Visit the château and its gardens:
Château de Pennautier, classified as a historical French monument, has been described as ‘The Versailles of Languedoc’ for its grandeur and style. Dating back to 1620 and refurbished in 2009 with a view to hosting receptions, private events and conferences, it manages to combine historic French grandeur with homely French living and is definitely worth a visit!
We enjoyed strolling round the beautiful formal gardens laid out in front of the château. They combine French and English style - in the 17th Century it was a formal French garden designed by Le Nôtre and in the 19th Century, it was transformed into a formal English garden and today you can see aspects of both.
See this video for more information - in French but it shows you the interior and exterior of the château.
Once you’ve visited the château and gardens, walk across the road and the bridge over to the winery, wine shop and restaurant.
Enjoy a wine tasting:
Browse the extensive wine shop, which sells a wide range of wine-themed items as well as wine and enjoy a wine tasting at ‘La Cave du Château du Pennautier’ (Cellar Door). You can taste the whole range of Lorgeril wines (as we did - of course!) or tailored to your interests - including tasting for beginners and themed tastings. Tastings are free and conducted by an experienced sommelier, but we suggest you look at the opening times and check availability here. We were really impressed with our wine tasting - it was a real journey of discovery about Cabardès wines and other Languedoc-Rousillon wines. We tasted 10 wines in total. Our tasting guide was not only really well-informed but very friendly - we’d really recommend a wine tasting here!
Do a tour of the cellars and winery:
You can book a tour of the Château du Pennautier cellars and winery - suggest you book in advance.
Enjoy some local cuisine:
Situated just next to the wine shop is the restaurant - ‘La Table du Château de Pennautier’. Open all year round for meals and snacks, enjoy local, regional specialities and typical Mediterranean dishes, paired with the wines of course!
Explore the vineyards and wine trails at nearby Domaine de Garille
Just a few kilometres away you can explore the Lorgeril vineyards at Domaine de Garille. There are several self-guided wine trails which take you through the vineyards in the heart of the Cabardès AOC, offering super views towards the Black Mountains and the Pyrenees.
Accommodation in the vineyards:
You can take your wine tourism experience one step further and sample French château life, staying in one of the magnificent Château de Pennautier’s various rooms or suites - or be a real wine tourist and stay in the heart of the vineyards at Domaine de Garille, where there are several gîtes, sleeping from 2-10 people and an outdoor swimming pool.
For all information and bookings for Château de Pennautier click here.
Where to find Château de Pennautier
Address: Maison Lorgeril - BP 4 - 11 610 Pennautier
Malepère vineyards and wines
The Malepère vineyards are located south-west of Carcassonne, just north of the Limoux AOC. It is a small and more recent AOC (established in 2007) and similar to Cabardès, its climate and wines are influenced by both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. In fact it is the most westerly of all of Languedoc appellations and for this reason its wines are characteristically quite different to other typical Western Languedoc wines, for example those from Corbières where the climate is hotter and the soils drier.
The Corbières mountains protect Malepère vines and the wetter, more Atlantic climate favours Bordeaux grape varieties. Merlot makes up about half of the red blends, with some Cabernet Franc and Malbec and rosés are mostly Cabernet Franc.
Unlike Cabardès a lot of Malepère wine production is in the hands of a small number of large co-operatives, but you can find some smaller, independent estates, like the one below!
Our visit to Domaine le Fort
Domaine le Fort is a family-run estate with 35 hectares of vineyards, located close to the town of Montréal in the Malepère AOC and is managed today by Marc Pagès and Stéphanie Fargues.
The unique location of Domaine le Fort and indeed the Malepère vineyards, set between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, in view of the Pyrenees, enables an incredibly broad range of highly distinctive wines to be made here. It’s for this reason that friends recommended we visit Domaine le Fort - as they know we would appreciate its large range of high quality, expressive wines.
Domaine le Fort vineyards
Domaine le Fort vineyards - Source: Wine Keller
Vines are planted on south-facing clay-limestone slopes and the entire area was replanted in 1998, which included the introduction of some new grape varieties and new cuvées or wine blends. Today there are 13 grape varieties growing in the Domaine le Fort vineyards including: Reds - Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache Noir, Syrah, Malbec, Pinot Noir; Whites - Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Petits Grains and new additions Riesling and Gewürztraminer.
Environmentally-friendly and sustainable farming is practiced wherever possible, with the aim of making wines which are pure and uniquely expressive of the Malepère terroir.
Domaine le Fort wines
Domain le Fort produces a large range of blends, as well as single-varietals, red, white and rosé. AOC Malepère wines are red blends only.
Our wine tasting
During our wine tasting we tried 5 different wines, including a Viognier 2020, which for 7 euros was stunning, a Riesling 2017, which presented typical Riesling ‘petrol’ flavours and a delicious cuvée rosé 2019. We hadn’t tasted a French Riesling outside of France’s Alsace region before - this is a grape variety which is most suited to cooler, northern European climates, eg in Germany and Austria - and we were astounded by how fresh and light it was, with great acidity, proving how unique the climate and terroir is in the part of South-West France.
The last 2 wines we tasted were perhaps more typical:
La Tour du Fort 2020 - a classic Malepère blend of Merlot with Grenache & Cabernet Franc, priced just 7.5 euros and delicious
Domaine le Fort 2018 - a Malepère blend as above, but aged in wood for 12 months, priced at 11 euros - we LOVED this and for the price it was truly exceptional but will be even more so after a few more years ageing.
Here are their full selection of wines. Domaine le Fort also produce their own olive oils.
The wine cellar is next to the tasting room and all bottling and packaging is done onsite. We advise contacting Domaine le Fort and booking a tasting in advance. Hours are 10-12 in the mornings and 14.30-18.30 in the afternoons, Monday-Saturday.
Our wine tasting was conducted in French - English language tastings cannot be guaranteed. We would highly recommend visiting Domaine le Fort - not for any polished, wine tourism experience, but to experience the quality and range of wines this special Malepère region can produce.
Following our visit and wine tasting at Domaine le Fort, we went into the nearby town of Montréal for a look around - it’s definitely worth a visit and the views over the surrounding countryside are amazing!
Where to find Domaine le Fort:
Address: Domaine le fort, 11290 Montreal
Another winery to visit in Malepère:
Another recommendation for Malepère wines is Domaine Rose & Paul. We didn’t have enough time to visit unfortunately, but definitely next time! A family-run estate, stretching back over 6 generations, with vineyards covering over 100 hectares, Domaine Rose & Paul is passionate about the Malepère terroir, its wines and respect for the land and the environment. In fact Gilles, the current 5th generation owner of Domaine Rose & Paul is so passionate about the local terroir, he is the current President of the Malepère AOC.
Tips for visiting Carcassonne and the Languedoc wine region
Spectacular Carcassonne - Source: Wine Keller
Carcassonne is made up of the old medieval city (‘le Cité’) and ‘La Bastide’, outside of the city walls.
We chose to stay at the Hotel Mercure Carcassonne la Cité. Not only is it located just outside the city walls, so there was no need for the car or a taxi to visit the fortified city, but the room was really comfortable and the facilities were excellent. The breakfast buffet was also great. We could walk to the town centre in La Bastide in about 15 minutes.
Getting to Carcassonne
You can fly direct to the local airport at Carcassonne or to the international airport at Toulouse. If you’re driving, Carcassonne in south-west France is easy to access by major motorway links.
Where to eat in Carcassonne
There are lots of choices when looking for a meal - lunch or dinner - in Carcassonne, but like anywhere attracting lots of tourists it's good to have a recommendation, especially from a local!
We were keen to eat traditional ‘cassoulet’, the hearty bean stew that the Languedoc is famous for and friends recommended a lovely restaurant in le Cité called Comte Roger. It was superb - great food, not too pricey, great atmosphere and service and great wines too!
We were also recommended The Brasserie 4 temps and La table du Vatican, an Italian restaurant near the station.
What to see in Carcassonne
Carcassonne is the largest and best conserved medieval fortress in Europe and as such it attracts many visitors each year. It can get very busy in the main Summer months, but ensure you make time to visit its inner ramparts, its château and Basilica Saint-Nazaire, whose stained glass windows are considered to be the most beautiful in the South of France. Allow a good couple of hours for this - you won’t be disappointed!
You need to pay to visit the inner ramparts and castle but you can also walk for free around the exterior walls and the two main city gates, the Porte Narbonnaise and the Porte d’Aude. Enjoy strolling round the winding streets of the cité - very touristy in parts, but it retains its medieval charm and you really feel like you’ve stepped back in time!
It takes about 15 minutes to walk from the medieval cité and Porte d’Aude to la Bastide Saint-Louis, situated on the left bank of the River Aude. Dating back to 1260 the Bastide retains its amazing chequerboard street plan, based around the main square, Place Carnot. Take time to stroll its lovely streets and soak up the atmosphere - there are lots of shops, places to eat and drink and some beautiful old mansions and buildings. Place Carnot is a great place to go in the evening for a drink/dinner.
For ideas of what to do and see in Carcassonne see Tourism Carcassonne.
Where else to visit in the area
We spent a very enjoyable couple of hours in nearby Limoux, strolling around the streets and having a very good and excellent value for money ‘plat du jour’ in the main square, Place de la Republique. See here for more information about what to do in Limoux and see our blog on exploring Limoux vineyards - home of the famous Limoux sparkling wines!
Visit the beautiful Abbaye de Saint-Hilaire, located in between Limoux and Carcassonne, set in rolling hills and vineyards, with 1000 years of history to share.
Perhaps take a cruise on the famous Canal du Midi, with spectacular views over the medieval cité of Carcassonne.
As well as Limoux, Carcassonne makes a great base for exploring other Languedoc AOCs, for example Corbières or Minervois, but you may need a couple of extra days for this as the region is so large!
Visit the ‘Francethis way’ website for ideas about what to see and do in the département of Aude and in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.’
Also see ‘Aude Tourism’ and ‘Grand Carcassonne Tourisme’.
Conclusion - our personal highlights
We would really recommend exploring the 2 little-known Languedoc wine regions of Cabardès and Malepère - the scenery is stunning and the wines are a real discovery! You can do each region in a day and enjoy the sights and experiences of Carcassonne at the same time!
A highlight for us was simply to discover something new thanks to friends in Carcassonne who introduced these Languedoc AOCs, vineyards and wines to us and we’re delighted to be able to share them with you!
