A family affaire for many years, the Domaine de l’Arjolle wakes up from its beauty sleep in 1974, due to Prosper and Louis-Marie Teisserenc.
In years of hard work, they renew the vineyards of the domaine by planting Cabernet sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon blanc. The free choice of grapes given by the Cotes de Thongue appellation suits well to their plans to produce varietal wines and cuvees from international grape varieties. In 1978 they bottle their first wines.
In 1982 they take over the management of the vineyards and cellar of the Chateau de Margon, situated only 3 km away from the Arjolle.
Charles Duby and Guilhem de Fozières, both skilled in endurable agriculture, join the Teisserenc brothers in 1985. Soon after the Domaine subscribes to the Terra Vitis Charta for sustainable viticulture.
On his first trip through the Californian vineyards, Louis-Marie is charmed by the Zinfandel wines he tastes. Surmounting the typical difficulties of French administration, one hectare of Zinfandel is finally planted in Pouzolles. Ever since, the Arjolle produces her 100% Zinfandel “Z de l’Arjolle”, still the only Zinfandel wine of France!
Roland Teisserenc, son of Prosper, joins the team in 1986.
In 1988 the first vintage ages in oak barrels. The success of those wines leads to the construction of a new cellar for wine ageing, designed by architect Bruno Laporta, with a capacity of some 800 barrels, which was inaugurated in 2001. We’d love to show it to you, when you visit the winery.
Roch and François Teisserenc complete the actual team of the Domaine de l’Arjolle in 2002. At the same time we create 10 more hectares of vineyards, planted with Viognier, Muscat petit grains and Carmenere, and a “high density vineyard”, with some 8000 plants of Syrah and Viognier per hectare.