Winemaker
Pierre Bories
- Discipline
- Winemaker
- Based in
- Montseret, France
i. Biography
Owner and winemaker of Château Ollieux Romanis in Corbières Boutenac, France, Pierre Bories carries the title that defines his work. He came home in 2001 after a career in finance, taking over when his parents had been badly let down by an exporter and the property was in serious financial difficulty; the answer became winegrowing rooted in organic farming, low-intervention cellar work, and the Mediterranean varieties of the Corbières.
The Honours
The clearest credential attached to Bories’s work is agricultural and exact: the vineyards of Domaine Pierre Bories in Fabrezan, France, have been Certified Organic since 2003. That certification sits beside the Château Ollieux Romanis commitment to authentic wines made from organically grown grapes, a phrase that is practical rather than decorative in his case. At the château, the family line matters. The Bories family has been associated with the property since 1978, and the current chapter is shaped by Pierre’s decision to return in 2001 rather than remain in finance. Recognition here is not built around a named trophy. It rests on a defined credential, a place, and a set of choices that can be traced in the vineyard and the cellar: Certified Organic farming, natural vinification, and a Corbières identity carried through grape varieties such as Carignan, Syrah, Grenache noir, Mourvèdre, and other Mediterranean varieties.
The Craft
At Domaine Pierre Bories, his specialty is natural wines from Corbières, including work with Viognier and Malbec. Since 2003, his natural vinification has used indigenous yeasts, no additives, zero sulfur during vinification, and only a minimal sulfur dose at bottling below 30 mg/L. The cellar method is equally specific. Bories works by gravity without pumping; fermentations are spontaneous, macerations are gentle and without mechanical extraction, and the wines are not fined. In the vineyard, he employs goblet pruning to build a dense leaf canopy that shields grapes from harsh sun. The goal is to let clusters mature in cool shade while retaining acidity, a direct response to an arid, warm locale. Harvest timing is part of the style. He harvests early to make crisp, delicately extracted wines, resisting heaviness through decisions made before fruit reaches the cellar. One cuvée gives the family story a visible form: Hippolyte, whose labels are illustrated by Bories’s son, Hippolyte, and whose name comes from him.
The Career
Before wine became his work, Bories worked in finance. The turning point came in 2001, when he returned home to take over Château Ollieux Romanis in the Boutenac area of the Corbières after a commercial setback had left the family property under serious pressure. That return placed him inside a family history already linked to the château since 1978. From there, his role developed around ownership, winemaking, and the rebuilding of a domaine identity through organically grown grapes and Corbières varieties. Alongside his work as owner and winemaker at Château Ollieux Romanis, Bories is also winemaker at Domaine Pierre Bories in Fabrezan, France. The two names share a clear through-line: natural wines from Corbières, farming choices made for heat and aridity, and a cellar practice designed to avoid force.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Pierre
What is Pierre Bories's current role?
Pierre Bories is owner and winemaker of Château Ollieux Romanis in Corbières Boutenac, France, and winemaker at Domaine Pierre Bories in Fabrezan, France.
What awards has Pierre Bories received?
His named credential is Certified Organic vineyards since 2003 at Domaine Pierre Bories, rather than a personal trophy.
What is Pierre Bories's most notable recognition?
The most notable recognition attached to his work is the Certified Organic status held by the Domaine Pierre Bories vineyards since 2003.
