Château de Jau

Like a splash of color, the manor house of Château de Jau sits on the hillside and stands out. Here you can immediately see what this estate is all about: zest for life and a love of artistic design. The wine, the estate’s restaurant, and the art exhibition all express this.

Château de Jau – Tuscan atmosphere in France

Château de Jau is an estate with a rich history. Founded by Cistercians in the 12th century, they were already growing wine here at that time. A magnificent square tower on the estate still bears witness to this period. In 1789, the present neoclassical manor house was built, after which the estate came to be known as a Château.

The Dauré family acquired the estate in 1974 and began the careful and stylistically appropriate restoration of the buildings. On the grounds there is also a 19th-century building that once served as a silkworm farm. Today, it is used to exhibit contemporary art. A restaurant called Grill de Jau is also located on the estate.

Wine, culinary highlights and art at Château de Jau

The Dauré family was already involved in winegrowing before they acquired the estate in 1974. Viña las Niñas, a winery in Chile, is also owned by the Daurés. Sabine Dauré initiated the creation of the art exhibition and the restaurant on the estate. Today, her son Simon has taken over the management and organization of the vineyards.

The mosaic terroir of Château de Jau

As part of the restoration, the vineyards were also reworked. Jau now owns 100 hectares of vines. The showpiece of Château de Jau is the highest hill, which, thanks to its white limestone soils, resembles a lunar landscape. The grape varieties grown on the estate are:

• Carignan
• Grenache
• Syrah
• Mourvedre

The first two put down roots in the soil at the top of the hill. Slightly further down, Syrah and Mourvedre grow on marl and black schist; the soils are deep and moist. The hill stretches down to the River Agly, and on the way there you find soils of many different kinds, so that the terroirs of Château de Jau resemble a puzzle. But this naturally gives the wines a great diversity. The winds from the Mediterranean also provide a pleasant cooling effect.