CHÂTEAU DE VILLEMARTIN
LOCATION :
Located 5 km northwest of Limoux le Château de Villemartin s’étend sur plus de 100 hectares, including 70 of vines. Its proximity to Toulouse and Carcassonne makes it an ideal tourist attraction ideal to discover during your stay in the Languedoc region.
STORY :
Château de Villemartin is the historic estate of Gaja-et-Villedieu near Limoux. The estate boasts a rich historical heritage, including cloister (14th century) and château located at the very heart of the estate.
For the record, it's Alexandre Guiraud, owner of the estate in the 1800s, who installed the cloister of the couvent des carmes initially located in Perpignan. Today, this cloister offers a unique romantic and enchanting. The famous poet, inspired by his architectural design to write some of his poems, including "le cloitre de Villemartin".
The château de Villemartin is a chateau de plaisance. Over the years, it has served as a secondary residence and then as the principal residence of the aristocracy of the Aude region. The château has undergone numerous renovations andextensionsthrough its successors. At the beginning of its history, it was a fortified castle, but was never used as such. Today, the castle tower and the coat of arms of the Villemartin seigneury are the only remnants of this period.
This area will reveal a exceptional heritage of Catalan Gothic art.
TERROIR :
The oldest soils are molasses, poudingues and conglomerates with granite pebbles. The molasses of Castelnaudary forms the soil of the northernmost vineyards. On the summits, the vines rest on ancient alluvial deposits of quartz pebbles, quartzite and schist-quartz.
What does this bring to the wine?
With quartz, the roots capture the elements of the subsoil in their smallest nuances and restore the minerality of their rock to the grapes.
Avec le schiste, roche feuilletée de couleur gris verdâtre datant de plus de 5 millions d’années, la vigne est obligée de chercher sa nourriture au plus profond de la roche et y puise ainsi toute son originalité.
What's more, shale stores heat during the day and releases it at night, ideal grape temperature.
GRAPES VARIETIES :
- Chardonnay
- Colombard
- Merlot
- Syrah
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Cot
- Pinot noir
- Mauzac
