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Château Maris is located within the re-known terroir of Cru La Livinière in the South of France.
Located at the foot of the Black Mountains, it is a family vineyard of 45ha producing Syrah, Grenache and Carignan vines.
Chateau Maris Wine Reviews & Tasting Notes
Brief History
The Languedoc vineyard was purchased in 1997, the initial yields were lower than expected.
The soil was dead, due to the previous farmer’s overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, so the team looked at ways of rejuvenating it, using compost. Bio-dynamic preparations were added to one organic compost pile and another was left alone.
After a while the bio-dynamic pile container had far more living organisms so the decision was then made to go beyond organic and to additionally follow biodynamic farming principles.
Chateau Maris is certified organic by Ecocert and Biodynamic by Biodyvin and Demeter.
Location and Climate
Chateau Maris is located in the Languedoc Roussillon area in the appellation Minervois Cru La Livinère which contains some of the best vineyards of the Minervois
It elaborates Minervois, Minervois La Livinière and IGP Oc wines.
The climate is typically Mediterranean with mild winters and hot summers.
Soil Types
The soil is clay and limestone.
Languedoc Grape Varieties
Chateau Maris produces a majority of Syrah grapes and also Grenache and Carignan over 45 Ha of vineyard surface area (111 acres).
Hemp Bricks Winery
The current cellar was built in 2012. It is a unique building built out of hemp, wood and limestone The wood is from certified managed forests which capture and store carbon.
The hemp bricks also absorb Co2 during 20 to 25 years as the lime solidifies into limestone.
Utilizing only renewable raw materials, the cellar is a ‘vegetable’ building and completely recyclable. Our vines are connected to nature and so is our cellar.
Neither heating equipment nor air conditioners are needed, so the building functions without any energy consumption. Hemp bricks, unlike concrete or metal, are ‘alive’ and able to breathe. They maintain temperature and humidity at a constant level on their own, whereas most buildings ineffectively use fossil fuels to function
Biodynamic Viticulture
Chateau Maris follows organic and biodynamic viticulture practices aimed at respecting the earth and vines.
Certified Ecocert since 2002, Biodyvin and Demeter since 2004, the winery is actively involved in sustainable agriculture. Their environmental commitment continues with their wine cellar that is built out of hemp bricks which allows the building to passively consume CO2, self-sustaining, it requires no cooling or heating systems and is the first of its kind in the world.
Per the standards of Cru La Livinère the “rendement” is lower than in many appellations. The majority of the estate is hand harvested eliminating the need to use tractors and fossil fuels.
Organic Winemaking
After observing first-hand the negative impact of chemicals on the land, Chateau Maris chose organic farming as it is the only way to respect the wellbeing of both the consumer and the environment.
A drastic reduction in the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers is necessary for the survival of our planet. Our organic winemaking is helping in this mission as it does not pollute the air, water, and soil in any way.
Chateau MarisWines
Chateau Maris produces many different wines including: