The name " Clapier " corresponds to the locality, but it also comes from the Provencal word " clapas " meaning a stone heap (the soil was indeed so pebbly, that the farmers were obliged to cultivate around those heaps).
Discover the history of the Château de Clapier estate and contact our winemaker to organize a visit.
Between the 16th and 18th century, this vineyard belonged to the Marquis de Mirabeau, handed down from father to son. They were all famous politicians, and winelovers. One of them, who was blatantly unable to resist the temptations of this delicious wine, was even given the nickname of " Mirabeau-Tonneau "!
Chateau turned to winemaking in 1880 when the great-great uncle, Théodore Barataud, bought the estate. He built the vinification place (at the very height of progressing times with de-stemming machines …) and installed big oak barrels of 240 hl.This cellar will be exploited for more than a century (1880-1995). It still remains a curiosity to discover during our guided tours and wine tastings.
Thomas Montagne took over the family estate in 1995, becoming the fourth generation of winemakers. He has combined modern techniques and traditional know-how to provide the vines with the best growing conditions and the wines with the best ageing conditions.
He has been relentlessly caring on 87 acres of vines to conceive wines in the spirit of independant winegrowers: sustainable work in the vineyard with natural vegetation cover between the rows of vines, low yields, few treatments, vinification plot by plot, use of natural yeasts, limitation of sulfites...
