GRP Tours en Minervois, Saint Chinian, Faugères

Minervois : A wine shaped by the wind

Between the Canal du Midi and the Montagne Noire, the stony soils of the vineyards on the slopes of the Causses and the Mourels tell us about the eternal Mediterranean. Leaning against the foothills of the Cevennes, in these high altitude, listen to the breath of nature!

The AOC Minervois, La Livinière and the Muscat de Saint-Jean-du-Minervois are all references to a majestic amphitheatre of vines topped by the wind, set with villages, churches and chapels.

All of these appellations include nearly two hundred and fifty private cellars and about thirty cooperatives. Take a little break and meet our winegrowers, discoveries, flavours, wines with character, like the one of the men who have shaped this land since the dawn of time with warmth, passion and perseverance. Let's go!

Minerve, the Cathar

Reputed unbreakable cathar fortress, Minerve stands proudly on its rocky spur, hemmed in between two rivers: the Brian and the Cesse. In this Mecca of Catharism, nature and heritage come together for a visit full of experiences: hikes, visits of the picturesque streets and its Romanesque church, discovery of the natural bridges, all evoked in the museums (archaeology, palaeontology, Cathar epic): an original experience!

Fief of the Viscounts of Minerve, the medieval city was a refuge for persecuted believers. In July 1209, Simon de Montfort, military leader of the crusade against the Albigensians, laid siege to the city in the summer of 1210. Using trebuchets and catapults, he forced the Viscounts to surrender, overcome by thirst and exhaustion. The hundred or so Perfect Refugees (the name given to the Cathars) refused to recant their faith and were condemned to the stake. A stele by the artist Jean-Luc Séverac, erected in front of the church, still reminds visitors of this troubled period.

The river Cesse, a wadi in the Minervois!

Along the way, you will follow the Cesse, a tributary of the Aude and emblematic river of the Minervois. This atypical river has been the subject of numerous studies and still arouses the interest of researchers. 

It takes its source in the Montagne Noire, in the commune of Ferrals les Montagnes. Its course is contradictory, flowing first towards the south following the relief, it suddenly bends towards the east. This very particular course has contributed to shaping the landscape of the gorges and the famous natural bridges at Minerve.

From its source to its confluence, the river fed numerous structures in the valley during the wet season. In the dry season, from spring to autumn, the river disappears and flows through underground networks over several dozen kilometres.

After Minerve, the Cesse flows through the village of La Caunette, backed by cliffs. It reaches Aigues-Vives and then Agel, the commune where the main resurgence of the Cesse is located, at a place called Boulidou. From there its course becomes aerial, take a break and swim at Bize-Minervois, then it flows into the Aude at Sallèle d'Aude, after having crossed the Canal du Midi.