HistoryIt is here in the midst of pungent scrubland that the French winemaking tradition took its first tentative steps. This landmark event, for which wine lovers the world over will be forever grateful, occurred 2,000 years ago when the Romans planted their first vines.
The Minervois is an historical region with a rich wine-growing tradition.
For a start, there is the gorge-hugging Cathar village of Minerve which gave its name to the region and the appellation.
And then the southern border of the vineyard is marked by the Canal du Midi, a feat of 17th civil engineering which is classified as a UNESCO world heritage site.
While nearby, the magnificent walled city of Carcasonne rises up on the western steps of the Minervois.
Finally, there are the Roman Abbeys, chapels nestling in the midst of vines, caves and prehistoric monuments, walks across the limestone plateau of Le Causse or in the depths of the Montagne Noire.
This region is a veritable mosaic which fosters diversity while drawing inspiration from its multiple origins.
The Minervois la Livinière cruEstablishing a link between the sky and the earth, the vine is imbued with symbols.
This is why the La Livinière cru, embodied by the extraordinary minaret-like church steeple in the village of the same name, is hailed by lovers of wine and breathtaking landscapes as a pure gem hewn from the slopes of the Petit Causse dotted with shepherds' shelters whose building methods are said to date from the Neolithic period and encircled by hundreds of kilometres of dry stone walls.
The founding fathers of the La Livinière spirit have one thing in common: their strong character. Roger Piquet, a major wine trader was one of the pioneers of the La Livinière cru. He first came to the region in search of quality wine.
He believed in its potential to such an extent that when talking of the 1976 vintage he said "you have come up with the Chambertin of the Languedoc".
Roger Piquet went on to acquire the Chateau de Gourgazaud where he would turn his extensive experience of the wine trade to full account. This background was to prove instrumental in the Chateau's success.
