Marc Tempe’s Domaine de Courbissac

Marc Tempe crafts wines to showcase the grandeur of the earth – the flavors, the colors and the experience.  In 2002, Marc took over the Domaine de Courbissac vineyards and became a pioneer in restoring traditional wine-making methods, utilizing the earth’s natural cultivation systems.  Domaine de Courbissac wines are characterized by their complexity of flavor, true to the terroirs of the region.

Domaine de Courbissac vineyards wind through the limestone plateaus of Casseras, made up of Cesseras and Félines Minervois grapes. The quality of the wines, mainly of the Minervois la Livinière appellation, reveal the complexity of the soil and the richness of the natural environment. The wines are born from the unique alchemy that unites the heart of man, the soil and the vine.

It is that natural alchemy that Marc has worked to restore in the vineyards.  The Courbissac vineyards are cultivated through biodynamic methods.  Having chosen the biodynamic route, Tempe has worked hard to restore the soil to its natural state, so the vines are able to draw on the mineral elements unique to the region.  These earth-friendly methods bring to the wine the life and that complexity that defines the traditional wines of these terroirs and regions.  Tempe’s wine-making methods are basic, adhering to simple, traditional practices, in order to maximize the wine of the vintage. All grapes are picked manually in cold baskets so they can be transported to the manual screw.  After natural, native yeast fermentation the wines are stored on its lees for at least eighteen months in barrels of 227-600 litres for the grandes cuvées, and twelve months in cement vats for the other wines. The wines are bottled without either filtering or clarifying.

the farmstead wines collection

Domaine de Courbissac 2004 Minervois
Carignan, syrah, Grenache- Peppery, spicy with ripe tannins well integrated. A big wine, but plenty of acidity. Finish is a little warm, but this is the hot South of France

Domaine de Courbissac 2004 Pandora
Grenache and Syrah- Round, well balanced, with sweet tannins; Big perfume from 3 months of skin contact

Domaine de Courbissac 2004 Orphee
Mouvedre, Syrah, and a little Carignan- Chewy wine with truffle notes and good acidity. Hints of cassis on the finish