DOMAINE SAINT-PIERRE D’ESCARVAILLAC

Our Story

Since the 13th Century

We do not have an exact date for the construction of Escarvaillac, but its existence predates that of the Chartreuse de Bonpas, which was built in the 13th century. The Durançole canal, which marks the southern boundary of the domain, is an engineering work from 1226 and a diversion of the Durance River, originally intended for two mills built at the edge of the river's highest flood levels, known for its (relentless) wildness.

The legend (one of the versions of the legend) tells that the Saint-Pierre de Muscadelle Path was one of the many routes of Compostela that traversed Provence, and that the first building on the domain was a more or less infamous inn, located in the middle of a dense forest along the banks of the Durance River. In the 14th century, at the request of the Pope, the Spanish inn was replaced by a much safer outbuilding of the Chartreuse de Bonpas, situated less than two kilometers away as the crow flies.

Long known as the "Grange de la Cépède," the domain was used by the Carthusians as a wine cellar for winemaking for several centuries. It was also a farm where livestock and agriculture thrived together. Naturally, wine remained the main activity, and everything suggests that it was not solely intended for the Mass.

Since that time, the grapes have been fermented, macerated, and vinified in large stone vats. These are the only such vats still in operation in the Vaucluse.

Les bâtiments ont traversé les siècles presque intacts. Vendu après la Révolution, le domaine passera entre les mains de trois propriétaires, jusqu’en 1880… C’est à cette date qu’une famille de la région, les Requin, rachète les lieux pour 10.000 francs. (La barrique de 225 litres de l’époque valait 20 sous, faites vos calculs.) Dès la première génération, le domaine prend son essor et reçoit de nombreuses distinctions pour ses vins.

It was with grandparents Denis and Henriette that Escarvaillac became, in 1922, one of the first domains to receive the "Côtes-du-Rhône" appellation. Their son, Henri Requin, produced wines "using sustainable farming practices," which earned a spot in the renowned Hachette guide. Upon Henri's death in 2016, it was his son Christophe who took over the family legacy... and converted the entire estate to organic farming.

Christophe REQUIN and his family

As a child, Christophe Requin would spend his holidays at Escarvaillac. His memories of this place, sheltered from the noise of the city, intertwined with the scents of blooming fruit trees, still soothe him today.

He first pursued studies to become a literature teacher and, on weekends, sold his father's wine at local markets.

Fascinated by the estate, he dreamed of one day making it a place open to culture.

In 2010, he renovated the Grange with his friend Andreas Guest, also a former teacher, to host exhibitions and performances for the off festival of Avignon.

In 2016, he decided to become a winemaker. Surrounded by the estate's team, he learned, harvest after harvest, his craft and his terroir, producing particularly intense and silky Côtes du Rhône wines thanks to the stone vats.

His passion for Escarvaillac and his desire to preserve this place led him, the following year, to convert it to organic farming.

Although he represents the fourth generation, Christophe Requin feels more like a witness to a piece of history than an heir, a history he wishes to share through his wines and heritage. Even if, at times, this means getting up in the middle of the night to round up a flock of eco-grazing sheep that have wandered off.

The Requin family – Harvest 1911

The Team