Domaine de Courbissac sits in Minervois, close to the Montagne Noire, with old vineyards spread across clay-limestone hills and vines reaching up to around 90 years of age.
The story begins in 2002 with Reinhard Brundig, a German film producer and serious wine lover. He bought the estate, restored the cellar and began vinifying the different parcels separately. But Courbissac proved difficult to tame, and by 2013 he wanted a fresher, more elegant direction.
That is when Brunnhilde Claux arrived. After working in Priorat — and earlier learning at Domaine Gauby — she took over the technical side of the estate at just 30. Whole-cluster fermentation became gentler, ageing more restrained, and the wines gradually became softer and fresher without losing their Mediterranean character.
Today Courbissac works across red, white, rosé and orange wines. The interesting part is the contrast: old southern French vines and generous Mediterranean fruit, handled with enough restraint that the wines rarely feel heavy.
