The estate
Key figures
15 hectares
Divided into 18 plot groups in 3 Herault communes: La Livinière, Siran and Cesseras
10 cultivated grape varieties
- Red: grenache noir, syrah, carignan, cinsault, malbec/côt and mourvèdre
- White: grenache blanc, grenache gris, roussanne and viognier
From 100m to 400m altitude
On the foothills of the Montagne Noire and the Causse de Minerve
25 years old
Average age of vines
1953
This is the year of our oldest parcel, carignan.
60,000 bottles
Annual production potential
35 temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks
300m² of winery
The winery is housed in two buildings, completely renovated in 2017 and 2025.
Winery
50 300l oak barrels
Ageing in amphorae
400m² storage area
Our storage facilities are fully air-conditioned to preserve our wine, and offer us total autonomy with a single warehouse.
An exceptional vineyard
A constant quest for quality
We strive for the highest possible quality at every stage of the vineyard and winemaking process:
- Vine pruning is adapted to the grape variety and the plot of land
- Harvest dates are very carefully chosen, day by day, plot by plot, with the aim of harvesting at perfect maturity.
- The grapes are harvested by hand, sorted at the plot level and then in the cellar on a state-of-the-art sorting table.
- Vinification is carried out plot by plot, with one vat per plot, to obtain the perfect expression of terroir.
- The wines are aged according to the style of each of our cuvées: eight to nine months in stainless steel vats for our Minervois, 18 to 24 months for our Cru La Livinière, combining stainless steel vats and barrels.
- Blending is a particularly important process. It is decided as a team, over several sessions, with the oenologists after tasting each of the vats and barrels... We systematically seek to preserve the profile of each cuvée, while revealing all the richness of our terroirs and the specificity of the vintage.
Organic as a matter of course
Producing wines of character while preserving our environment is at the heart of our project. As soon as Domaine Les Combes Cachées was created, organic farming became an obvious choice. Both in the vineyard and in the cellar, we use no chemical inputs other than those authorized for organic farming, in order to respect the life of the soil, the plant and the fruit. This requirement allows us to fully express our Minervois La Livinière terroirs. Our commitment has been recognized by the organic farming certification we obtained in 2018, but for us, it's above all a daily work philosophy.
Terroirs like no other
The originality of the estate lies in its famous «combes cachées»: small secret valleys, surrounded by garrigue, that create a picture-postcard landscape. Our 18 groups of plots are spread between La Livinière, Siran and Cesseras, on the foothills of the Montagne Noire. Alluvial terraces, clay-limestone hillside soils, sandstone outcrops... this mosaic of terroirs offers a unique diversity. Our vines are on average 25 years old, with some very old Carignan vines planted in the 1950s and 1960s. Each plot is vinified separately to bring its own personality to our blends and contribute to the complexity of our wines.
An ultra-modern winery
In Siran, our winery has taken its place in the old 1904 cooperative winery, whose historic shell we have preserved while completely rethinking the interior. The building now houses an air-conditioned winery, barrel cellar and storage area. Numerous small vats, equipped with tank-by-tank temperature control, enable us to vinify each plot with great precision. In the barrel cellar, our wines are matured not only in barrels, but also in amphorae, to enrich the range of ageing options. This modern tool offers us remarkable working comfort and helps us to aim for excellence in every vintage.
The art of winemaking
Vinification at Domaine Les Combes Cachées begins with a plot-by-plot harvest. The whites are pressed directly from whole bunches, while the reds are destemmed and crushed after selection in the vineyard and then on the sorting table.
Red and white Minervois are aged in stainless steel vats; white Minervois remains on lees with regular stirring of the lees. Our Viognier is vinified and aged on lees in 400 L barrels, and the Minervois La Livinière is matured in 300 L barrels and stainless steel vats, depending on the cuvée.
In 2025, we created our first sparkling wine: a rosé made from Mourvèdre grapes grown at altitude (410 m), 10.5°, with fine bubbles, aromatic and very fresh for your festive and convivial moments.
