When your family is already known for founding one of the greatest wines in the south of France – one that transformed the Gassac valley of Languedoc into the “Lafite of the South” – what do you do next?

You start over from ground zero with an entirely different winemaking approach. While your father’s Bordeaux-inspired blend focused on Cabernet, you explore native varieties and fruit-driven styles. You lean into natural wine-making.

Languedoc in the south of France.

Atelier Guibert is framed as an independent studio of sorts for the Guibert brothers – whose family runs Languedoc’s renowned Mas de Daumas Gassac – to experiment freely without overturning the style of their flagship estate. The winery is helmed collectively by the five Guibert brothers – Roman, Basile, Samuel, Gaël, and Amélien – with an uncommon unity of purpose despite varied perspectives. Basile (whom we recently had an interview with) quipped “We’re a bit like cooks, each in our own way,” and Roman adds, “It’s a terrain de jeu (playground), a breath of fresh air. What we cannot do at Mas de Daumas Gassac, we imagine here.”

The early concept began to take shape as Roman undertook a stage (apprenticeship) at Domaine Prieuré-Roch in Burgundy, a producer renowned for natural, whole-cluster Pinot Noir. This inspired both Roman and Basile to craft wines that are free-spirited, accessible, and all about the immediacy of fruit.

In 2020, an opportunity arose to purchase an old Syrah vineyard near the family estate – and just like that, construction commenced. Positioned a bit like a “neo-garage wine” – Atelier Guibert comes from a highly respected family but it is calibrated to appeal to an adventurous wine demographic; the kind of consumers and sommeliers who are excited by natural wines and offbeat regions. And despite its connection to a cult producer, Atelier Guibert claims to operate with full creative independence from Mas de Daumas Gassac, with its own vineyards and a dedicated winery. Notably, Atelier Guibert wines do not carry the name “Gassac” anywhere on the label. This is a deliberate choice to let these wines speak for themselves without leaning on the status of Mas de Daumas Gassac.

The physical home of Atelier Guibert is purpose-built. The cellar is tucked into a modern warehouse previously constructed for storing Mas de Daumas Gassac and Moulin de Gassac wines.

The vineyards (14 hectares in total) are farmed with an organic mindset, though not yet formally certified - eschewing chemical inputs and respecting natural cycles, while the wines are made with minimal sulfites. And despite being less than a kilometre away from the family estate, Atelier Guibert’s soils differ significantly. Whereas Daumas Gassac is dominated by iron-rich red glacial soils, Atelier Guibert has a multiplicity of terroir which includes galets roulés (pebbles like Chateauneuf-du-Pape) – ideal for a rich Mediterranean style that express warmth, ripeness, and density, sandy alluvial soil (from the river) – which supports fragrant, drink-now wines, and water-retentive clay-rich soil that is great for structured reds that could balance out lighter, sandier parcels. This allows for a multiplicity of styles, including fragrance and finesse, , and structure .

Harvesting is done by hand, parcel by parcel, with meticulous selection of fruit. In fact, the brothers often harvest into small bins (palox) to keep different lots separate and avoid crushing.

Those familiar with Daumas Gassac know of its deviation from classic Languedoc appellation requirements to produce Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blends. In contrast to this model, Atelier Guibert pivoted the varietal focus back to indigenous southern French grapes like Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Mourvèdre, Grenache – that may not quite fit into the logic of Daumas Gassac, but have real personality. They’re also working with nearly forgotten varieties like Aramon and Alicante Bouschet interplanted in field blends.

The vineyards that feed Atelier Guibert have a cooler microclimate and are still harvested relatively early by local standards – retaining acidity and moderate sugars. Yields are kept low – for instance, the old Syrah parcel they work with is cropped to around 6,000 bottles worth of fruit.

In the cellar, a “minimal intervention” approach guides the team. Fermentations are often spontaneous with native yeasts, and the brothers experiment with a range of vessels and techniques to suit each parcel. One cuvée might employ carbonic maceration to emphasize fruit, while another whole-cluster fermentation to enhance structure and aromatics.

Roman has also stressed that the winery pursues “natural” winemaking but with a rigorous commitment to cleanliness. “Making natural wine is within anyone’s reach; making natural wine without (microbial) faults is another matter.” It is a marriage of natural wine ideology with technical precision.

The team also favours a gentler infusion-style maceration over aggressive extraction. Their wines see only about 10–15 days of maceration (usually semi-carbonic or with whole bunches) to obtain colour and aroma while avoiding heavy tannins. In some cases, as in the case for their light red Génésis cuvée, intact whole clusters are fermented, undergoing a 15-day infusion with no crushing, no punching down and no filtration – essentially steeping the grapes like tea. This yields bright, juicy flavours and pale hues.

Aging and élevage regimens are tailored to each cuvée’s character. The inaugural Syrah 2020, for instance, was aged a total of 4 years before release: about one year in a mix of vessels (including Stockinger vat, French oak barrel, and amphora) and then a full three years in bottle to evolve slowly. On the other hand, the Génésis 2024 was bottled just a few months after harvest aged only about 1.5 months in neutral vat on fine lees to preserve its youthful vibrancy. New oak is also sparingly used.

After years of work, the Guibert brothers have recently unveiled the official international debut cuvées – the Syrah and the Génésis. However, the project had been soft-launched in Europe somewhat earlier – and by the time of release, some insider buzz is already present. We were incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to review a trio of these bottles right when they’re making their international debut: the inaugural Syrah 2020, the Syrah 2022 and the Génésis 2024.

A small point of note is that the inaugural Syrah 2020 was vinified in Daumas Gassac’s cellars as Atelier Guibert’s facility was still under construction at that time. Hence, while the inaugural red is classified as a Vin de France (just like Daumas Gassac’s wines), all of Atelier Guibert’s subsequent wines are to be classified as IGP Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert – designating the area in Gassac Valley where both Mas de Daumas Gassac and Atelier Guibert are located, while still allowing more freedom than AOC in grape varieties and stylistic experimentation (e.g. lower alcohol and lighter oak influence).

Let’s give them a taste!

Wine Review: Atelier Guibert Syrah 2022 Red (Mourvèdre and Marselan), 13.5% ABV

The 2022 vintage is predominantly Syrah, blended with a third of Mourvèdre and Marselan. Grown on north-facing clay-limestone soils, the grapes develop a slow and balanced ripeness.

Winemaking involved a gentle 15-day maceration in amphora to help preserve the purity of aromas, then aged for 10 months in large Stockinger oak casks before further bottle aging.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Deep ruby.

Aroma: Bright, fresh, immediately appealing and unfolds in complexity. Opening with raspberry, strawberry and blackcurrant notes that come together distinctly like a mixed berry yoghurt. There's a clear lifted floral character with rose petals and potpourri. And beneath this initial freshness emerges a deeper, more savoury character of dried oregano with a meaty ham note, accented by salinity and savouriness. As the wine sits. tart cherries and dark plums add more fruit intensity, then reveals dried cranberries and dried cherry notes, layered with leather, dried heather and sarsaparilla, and then earthy spices – soil, clove and some musty library books. Bit of espresso coffee too. Its rustic purity comes through eventually with some horse saddle.

Taste: Medium-bodied with moderate plushness; the texture is smooth and welcoming without feeling overly rich or exaggerated. It leans towards a firmer style but maintains freshness. Initial attack of dried cranberries, plums and cherries, alongside savoury parma ham and dried oregano. It’s underpinned by a mineral purity of fresh spring water. Exceptionally balanced.

Finish: Long, seamless and weightless. Berry flavours gradually fade, making way for stronger terroir expressions and some savoury, meaty notes alongside raspberry nuances. There’s more pronounced minerality of fresh spring water, a subtle sarsaparilla and delicate almond flake sweetness. A soft lactic quality persists throughout.

My Thoughts:

This is a complex yet approachable wine that emphasizes rich, gourmet characteristics without losing sight of its terroir. Tannins are exceptionally polished, soft, fine, and relaxed, yet still firmly structured. It’s aromatically complex moving gracefully from fresh, vibrant fruit towards deeper savoury and rustic nuances.

It’s got great precision and balance character on the palate: the wine is neither overly soft nor overly ripe. Acidity and tannins are remarkably smooth and beautifully integrated, resulting in this precise, chiselled profile with a touch of minerally at the end that brings clarity and definition to the experience.

Wine Review: Atelier Guibert Syrah 2020 Red, 13.5% ABV

As alluded, this wine was vinified in the cellars of Mas de Daumas Gassac – 3 years before Atelier Guibert’s dedicated cellar was ready.

This is a 100% Syrah born from an old vine which, according to Basile when I spoke with him, was planted as far back as 1986. It was aged for a year in vats and barrels, before further bottle aging for 3 years. This inaugural vintage gave birth to 6000 bottles.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Deep ruby.

Aroma: Firm and rich but without exaggeration. It’s got greater depth of fruit compared to the 2022, lead by dark fruits, especially plums, prunes, and figs with subtle jamminess. There's noticeable florals, primarily violets and minor hints of potpourri. Some underlying savoury notes too with indistinct dried herbs and a mild, meaty savouriness reminiscent of cured ham, though a little less prominent due to the dominant fruit. The florals lead us down to a bit of fresh linens and subtle talcum powder. The minerality does become more apparent as the wine opens up, adding some balance to the plush, rich fruit.

Taste: Very plush, rounded and distinctly juicy. Medium-bodied, the wine is generously filled with depths of plums, prunes, raisins, figs, and subtle hints of tobacco, with a clear presence of dried oregano and notable mineral undertones.

The tannins, while noticeably firmer than the 2022, its still very velvety overall and provides a bit more structure and definition to the plush fruit.

Finish: Really impressive – prominent dark cherries and raspberry, and that same soft lactic character that combine to evoke raspberry yoghurt. Plums remain evident, accompanied by subtle notes of red liquorice, sarsaparilla, and mint. Some savoury and nutty accents adding complexity. A slight animal hide note emerges briefly, alongside malolactic characteristics that add creaminess to the end.

My Thoughts

Such a fantastic inaugural wine from Atelier Guibert!

This wine comes across so seamless, though notably more jammy, fruity, perfumed, and floral on the nose than the earlier bottle tasted. The tannins provide slightly more grip here, and quite enhances the overall structure.

Was the change in style intentional, is my question. This expression shows more defined character on the palate than the 2022 and I’d say it has potential for even further aging. The balance of plush fruit, clear minerality, and structured tannins is striking, and I feel confident this wine will continue to evolve positively.

Wine Review: Atelier Guibert Génesis 2024, 11.5% ABV

The most “natural wine”-influenced of the trio, the Génésis is a blend of 46% Syrah, 34% old vine Carignan and 20% Cinsault. Its terroir is driven by sandy and clay soil that offer some structure along with brighter fruits, and yet the proximity of the grapes to the Daumas Gassac estate led to some presence of limestone terroir and refreshing acidity.

It is vinified with 40% whole bunch grapes with carbonic maceration – a technique often used by modern minimal-intervention wines –where whole, uncrushed grapes ferment from the inside out, which gives bright fruits and soft tannins . It is then matured for just 1.5 months in Stockinger wooden vats with lees stirring to build texture and aromatic integration.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Garnet.

Aroma: Intensely candied, floral and exotic! Aromas of hyacinth, lavender, fresh linens and a distinct exotic agarwood note. There's also something reminiscent of red Fox sweets, and beneath this floral-candied impression, there is noticeable minerality, like fresh mineral spring water, along with fresh herbs. Fresh raspberry notes dominate, before some dried cranberries and cherries surface.

Taste: On the sip, the wine shows a crisp, mineral-driven character with brighter acidity. Medium-bodied, leaning towards the brighter, crunchy, juicy fruit side, yet still firm and supple thanks to the acidity – it lends somewhere between the two Syrahs we’ve tasted. Initial impressions of fruit are bright, crunchy and raspberry-like before varied notes show up, featuring plums, prunes, and also even bruised apple and bruised pear notes. Some indistinct dried herbs that add a slight savoury quality.

Finish: It continues to express floral notes, particularly rose petals, alongside a persistent firm and seamless texture. At this stage, tannins are hardly noticeable, replaced instead by a gentle meatiness of Champagne ham. It all concludes with a crisp drying sensation of crushed frozen strawberries.

My Thoughts

This is a playful and really evocative one! The nose takes the cake as it combines these exotic floral notes, woodiness, fresh fruit aromas, and clear minerality in such a cohesive manner. Among these three Atelier Guibert wines tasted, the Génésis also stands out as the most aromatic, fresh and approachable.

You’ve got to love its brightness and crunchiness, alongside a touch of rustic savouriness, herbs, minerality and florals. The terroir is also really clearly expressed through the noticeable springwater-like mineral character.

This is highly aromatic and immediately drinkable, making it a very gourmet mealtime wine. You may note notice this comes at a more sessionable 11.5% ABV, but it continues to offer solid complexity and texture, sitting somewhere between the two Syrahs we’ve tasted.

Both the Syrah and Génésis cuvée wines are slated for worldwide release in the months to come. Follow Basile Guibert's socials for the latest on this!

@CharsiuCharlie