Château de Jau

The history of Château de Jau

Château de Jau was founded in the XIIᵉ century by Cistercian monks, amidst an exceptional Mediterranean setting of olive trees, cypresses and garrigue. It was then exploited for a long time - from the 15th century until the end of the 19th - century by the Xopi family.

Later, Château de Jau was taken over by a Catalan family from Barcelona, then by a family of local wine merchants, the Bourdouils. In 1973, it was bought by Jean and Bernard Dauré, two wine merchants. They set about restructuring the estate from top to bottom. The buildings were renovated, while extensive planting improved the vineyard.

From the 1970s onwards, the Dauré's embarked on wine tourism, which was totally innovative for the time. They also created a contemporary art foundation.

Bernard's children, Estelle and Simon, subsequently inherited Château de Jau and still manage it today.

The Château de Jau vineyard

The Château de Jau vineyard is located in the foothills of the Corbières, in the Agly valley. The vines cover around 100 hectares and are surrounded by 500 hectares of garrigue and idyllic wild landscapes. Château de Jau is the only vineyard on this bank of the Agly.

The vines benefit from the Mediterranean climate, with over 300 days of sunshine a year and an annual rainfall of 500 millimeters. The vines are battered by the tramontane wind, which dries and purifies them. They also benefit from the sea air.

Château de Jau's soils are made up of silts, clays and sands in the riverside area. The slopes are composed of schistose marl. The vines are planted at an altitude of 70 meters on the banks of the Agly and 170 meters on the slopes.

70% of the Château de Jau vineyard is planted with red grapes. The grape varieties are typical of southern France, with Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache Noir. The vineyard dedicated to white wine is made up of Vermentino, Macabeu, Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris.

The estate now wishes to focus more on white grape varieties, of which 40 hectares have just been replanted.

The estate has been run under agriculture biologique (organic farming) since 2018, and has held the organic label since the 2021 harvest.

The wines of Château de Jau

Château de Jau offers wines of the three robes, as well as a vinegar.

White wines

- Jaja de Jau "Ecolo" IGP Pays d'Oc white ORGANIC
- Jaja de Jau IGP Côtes de Gascogne
- Château de Jau White PDO Côtes du Roussillon
- Jaujau 1er white IGP Pays d'Oc Premium
- Jaujau 1er white IGP Pays d'Oc Box of 3 bottles
- Jaja de Jau White Chardonnay IGP Oc
- Ella Reserva Chardonnay ORGANIC
- Sin Filtro Reserva Chardonnay ORGANIC

Red wines

- Limited Edition: PDO CRV 2019 Vincent Corpet
- Jaja de Jau "Ecolo" Red IGP Pays d'Oc ORGANIC
- Integrale Vina las Ninas - Red Chile ORGANIC
- AOP Côtes du Roussillon Villages red Dandy
- Jaja de Jau Red IGP Pays d'Oc
- Château de Jau AOP Côtes du Roussillon Villages
- Sans Sulfites PDO Côtes du Roussillon Villages
- PDO Côtes du Roussillon Villages Old Map
- Catalan PDO Côtes du Roussillon Villages
- Jaujau 1er PDO Côtes du Roussillon Villages
- Ella Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon ORGANIC
- Ella Reserva Carmenère ORGANIC
- Ella Reserva Merlot ORGANIC

Rosé wines

- AOP Côtes du Roussillon rosé Dandy
- Jaja de Jau Rosé IGP Pays d'Oc
- Château de Jau Rosé AOP Côtes du Roussillon

Natural and sparkling wines

- Chez Jau AOP Muscat de Rivesaltes 50 cl
- Chez Jau AOP Muscat de Rivesaltes 75 cl
- Chez Jau AOP Rivesaltes Garnet 50 cl
- Chez Jau PDO Rivesaltes Amber 50 cl
- Sparkling White Wine
- Sparkling Rosé Sparkling Wine