Château Gassier
Vineyard
One estate, four terroirsThe teams at Château Gassier have studied the domaine’s soils in depth in order to determine the best varietals for each terroir, in accordance with strict specifications as set out by the AOP Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire. As such, the vineyards have been fully restructured in order to define 4 distinctive terroirs and two primary grape varieties, grenache and syrah, which count for 50% of the domaine’s plantings.
Red clay originating from the mountains acts as a link between the four terroirs
- In the West: a combination of sand and loam optimum conditions for the syrahs
- In the South: the dry, rocky soils are ideal for grenaches and rolle
- In the East: deep, pebbly soils at the bottom of the hillsides for the cinsaults
- In the North: sandy, clayey and very rocky soils covered with a layer of sandstone, ideal for grenache
Our people
« Anyone who is capable of felling passion can inspire it »
Marcel Pagnol
Olivier SOUVELAIN
President of Château Gassier
In 2010, Olivier Souvelain took charge of Château Gassier, and has helped the Winery to make it into the big league in just a few years. This sports-lover with his passion for France has always drawn on his family values... high standards and determination to promote his country’s gastronomic and wine-making heritage around the world. After a series of enriching experiences, he his finally settled in Provence, where the beauty of the contryside, the quality of the wine and the personality of the local people have won this Norman’s heart. Like an orchestra conductor, Olivier puts his trusts in his teams whow he directs without ever staying from his guiding principales and his values. So he has managed to maintain the family spirit of the winery while bringing it up into the ranks of the other great family spirit of the Winery while bringing it up into the ranks of the other great Côtes de Provence wines.
Georges GASSIER
Sainte-Victoire's Winegrower
The spirit of the Gassier Barons lives on in Georges. Representing the fifth generation of the family to work on the Estate, he is currently in charge of the 40 hectares of the vineyard. Georges was born in the Bastide de Seguirane, the home of the Gassier family in Saint Estève. From a very young age he interited the passion for the vines and naturally went on to study viticulture and oenology. He soon returned to the family estate in 1997 to work alongside his father, after a brief stint as cellar manager in Australia, showing that his love of travel was quickly overridden by the call of his cherished Sainte-Victoire Mountain.
Léa ROUYET
Winemaker
Léa Rouyet was born and bred in Basque Country and grew up in the Pyrenees surrounded by fauna, flora and sheep of course! She is passionate about the environment and found her ultimate haven of peace in 2015 when she joined Gassier which lies at the foothills of the Sainte-Victoire mountain. Following in the footsteps of Cézanne, Léa made it her muse and spent her free time hiking, roaming and wandering her way around the mountain getting to know its secret little caves. Léa now pours all of her passion and energies into creating both easy drinking and gastronomic wines that respect the surrounding environment whilst offering an authentic expression of the Sainte-Victoire terroir.
The team
The Gassier team work with passion and dedication to ensure that Château Gassier fulfills its true potential. The team work hand in hand to create #GassierRosés worthy of the region’s finest. Passion and motivation are what have enabled Château Gassier to become a veritable ambassador for Provence wines.
Origins
"Just look at the Sainte-Victoire. Such a sight to behold, the compelling thirst of the sun, yet such melancholy when, at night, its heaviness fades”Paul Cézanne
The Gassier family, originating from Barcelonnette (Haute-Provence) and with links to Provencal nobility dating back to 1421, purchased the Château Gassier and its vineyards in 1982. In 2004, the Gassier and Jeanjean families joined forces in order to cultivate these vineyards together whilst working towards the same shared objectives. Georges Gassier, the family’s fifth generation of winemakers, now runs the domaine in close collaboration with Maison Gassier. Olivier Souvelain joined Château Gassier in 2010 and was entrusted with the task of restructuring the vineyards and buildings as well as improving the overall image of the Gassier brand. In line with his commitment to preserving the domaine and its environment, the vineyards underwent Organic conversion in 2016.
Organic Agriculture
"This approach to viticulture respects the terroir and gives the fruit its purity of flavour"Georges Gassier
The Estate’s wines have been off icially recognised as organic wines since it obtained the Organic Agriculture Certif ication in 2016. Working the soil and the vines according to these principles preserves the natural balance and ensures that the wines are a truer expression of the terroir. The Sainte-Victoire mountain is a protected area and has been certified as a ‘Grand Site de France’ since 2004. Château Gassier is directly associated with the Grand Site Sainte-Victoire and, since April 2015, has been offering open access to its ‘sentier des vignes’ educational wine trail in order to promote the exceptional biodiversity of Sainte-Victoire and its wines. The aim is also to raise public awareness of environmentally friendly wine growing practices.