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History

La Gayolle Wine Estate

In the heart of Var cowntryside

One of the richest and most significant sites in Provence.

In the heart of Provence Vert, between oaks and maritime pines, Le Domaine La Gayolle unfolds its 72 hectares at the foot of the Massif de La Loube.

Le Domaine La Gayolle is a place full of history and charm, making this Domain one of the oldest in the region. It is an inspiring place in Provence where the history of wine and that of our past harmoniously intertwine.

Acquired in 1855 by the Paul family, the Domaine is located in the village of La Celle, in the Var department.

Between history and modernity, it is above all the story of a beautiful transmission, that of know-how and a common passion for the vine and its treasure.

Nestled in the heart of the Var countryside, the site is distinguished by the presence of a small chapel whose foundations date back to the 2nd century of our era when the site was used as a place of worship by wealthy landowners who baptized in the 5th century The Chapel of “Gaisola” which in Latin means: small church.

domaine-la-gayolle-en-provence

A Historic Monument

It is the simplicity and authenticity that make the beauty of this place.

The Domaine houses a very ancient chapel known today as the “Chapel of Our Lady of La Gayolle”, classified as a Historic Monument of France.

Built at the end of the 5th century and then devastated by the arrival of the Goths, the current chapel as we observe it today was rebuilt in 1058 by the Monks of the Abbey of Saint Victor in Marseille, who developed agriculture and viticulture at the same time.

The importance of this chapel is linked to the discovery of one of the oldest sarcophagi in the Paleochristian world, the Sarcophagus of Syagria, a historical piece from the 2nd century of our era.

Discovered in the foundations of the chapel, this sarcophagus was reused at the end of the 5th century as a burial for a Roman noblewoman named Syagria, whose name was given to the emblematic cuvée of the Domaine, the Cuvée Syagria.

Today this sarcophagus is a real museum piece and it is preserved in the Museum of the Counts of Provence in the city of Brignoles.

A Family Estate

Transmission of know-how, sharing of a passion.

Le Domaine La Gayolle is also the story of 7 generations of a family of passionate winemakers, the Paul family.

Nicolas Paul, the 7th heir of Le Domaine La Gayolle in the Var, succeeds Jacques Paul, the 6th generation of a family of winemakers, who is now the Mayor of the charming Provencal village of La Celle, in Green Provence.

Nicolas Paul grew up among the vines and today follows the path traced by his parents and ancestors.

At the age of 30, he took up the torch, eager to perpetuate the family heritage with the aim of highlighting the know-how of previous generations but also to bring his own touch.

Today, the challenge for this winemaker is to carry out work that combines the knowledge of his land and the new approaches of a viticulture that is responsible and respectful for the environment and future generations.