The AOP area “Malepère” covers 39 municipalities in the Aude department in South-West of the city of Carcassonne, a radius of fifteen kilometers from the center of the Massif of The Malepere and culminating at Pech de Mont Naut to 442 meters. In the antic language Occitan , “Male peyre” minds bad building stone .
In the center of the massif, forests and thickets cover the steep slopes and soil not covered by vines. The geographical area of the appellation is bordered to the North by the Canal du Midi and the watershed point of Naurouze, to the East by the “Aude” River which separates it from the Corbières Massif to the South by the vineyards of Limoux and the West by the limestone cuesta of Fanjeaux.
The Massif of The Malepère is traversed by a large river system. Many rivers Aude and its tributary the Sou, the Fresquel and its tributary the Rébenty hacked massive deep valleys and shaped an undulating landscape of hills. Sandstone nipples have resisted erosion, they appear as mounds are called “Pech”. The vineyard is located up to 350 meters above sea level on the slopes and terraces that form the Massif of The Malepère. Presentation on the South side of the massif, the vineyard undergoes Mediterranean climatic influence, exposed on the western side is the oceanic influence which dominates.
