Basile Saint-Germain

About the Winery

Domaine Les Aurelles is a 9-hectare estate near Pézenas in the Languedoc, founded in 1995 by Basile and Caroline Saint-Germain. Basile, originally from Lorraine, trained at Château Latour before founding the estate with Caroline, who came from Cognac. The vineyards are planted on unique Villafranchian gravel and basalt scree soils on the Nizas plateau, just 30 kilometers from the Mediterranean. The domaine is cultivated using biodynamic and phytobiological practices, with extremely low yields and meticulous attention to detail—each bunch is checked twice before harvest. The wines are aged for up to four years in enamel vats rather than oak, resulting in civilized, digestible wines with subtle fruit. Their cuvées include Solen (Carignan/Grenache), Aurel (Mourvèdre/Grenache), and the celebrated Aurel Blanc from pure Roussanne—considered one of the great white wines of the Languedoc. The estate has been recognized with three stars in the Revue du Vin de France guide.

“A benchmark biodynamic estate on the Nizas plateau, producing some of the Languedoc's most refined wines with long élevages in enamel vats.”