Domaine de Baronarques

Domaine de Baronarques is a wine estate in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the South of France. It lies in the Saint-Polycarpe commune within the appellation of Limoux, part of the Aude department. Once owned by the eighth-century Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Polycarpe, the domaine is now part of the Baron Philippe de Rothschild group. The portfolio includes leading Bordeaux properties Châteaux Mouton Rothschild, Clerc Milon and d’Armailhac, among other notable names. Domaine de Baronarques and the wider group belong to Camille Sereys de Rothschild, Baron Philippe Sereys de Rothschild and Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild.

The estate’s geographical location mean it enjoys influence from both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. This impacts the choice of grape varieties cultivated here, which are a mix of those you might find in Southern France along with those more typical of Bordeaux. The vineyard plantings include Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Malbec for reds; and Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc for whites. All grapes are harvested by hand.

In the cellar, the red wines are vinified individually in small tanks before careful blending. Domaine de Baronarques Rouge undergoes 12 months’ barrel ageing. Domaine de Baronarques Blanc is whole-bunch pressed, fermented in barrel and then aged in French oak for eight months. The proportion of new oak used is kept low.