History
Back to the origin of a crazy project
We arrived on the mythical land of the Cathars in 1997, ten years after the birth of Deux Roches in Burgundy. The desire to explore new horizons and take on new challenges.
If the landscapes immediately appeal to us, they were not the only argument. We appreciated the quality of the white wines produced in the area, very beautiful expressions of Chardonnay. In Languedoc, the Haute Vallée de l’Aude is the region most planted with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (limestone soils, altitude, freshness). The harvest dates were, within a few days, the same as in Davayé, the similarity of the vegetative cycles also reassured and inspired us.
The Domaine had a rich history. Mr. Ramirez, our predecessor, was one of the founding members of the association of private cellars, and one of the first able to imagine Chardonnay here.
A colossal project, both in the vineyard and for the built part. When we arrived, the vineyard has approximately 45 hectares and everything had to be rebuilt, to be imagined.
Two families,
a single passion
Christian Collovray and Jean-Luc Terrier had been friends since childhood and shared a love of the vines and of wine. Their bond became even closer when they married two sisters, Brigitte and Florence, also from a family of winegrowers. The four of them dreamed of together creating an estate to make wine from Christian’s vines, and those of his father. A year later, in 1986 the history of the Domaine truly began, when this dream became a reality.
They didn’t have to think very long to find the name of the Domaine. All the vines were grouped around the two Rocks of Vergisson and Solutré, part of the unique geological heritage of the southern Mâconnais, with their vestiges of prehistoric human activity.
From the very beginning each one had their own role to play. Christian tended the vines, Jean-Luc had responsibility for the cellar and for sales. Brigitte and Florence first worked in the vines then looked after bottling before devoting themselves to administrative and commercial matters as the business grew. Today Florence knows each and every one of the Domaine’s customers!
Julien Collovray, Christian and Brigitte’s son, joined the family estate in 2009 following his studies in viticulture, oenology, law and economics, and various experiences in wine estates in the USA and France. He oversees and coordinates work in the vines, manages the administrative aspects and is responsible for the cellar and for bottling.
Three years later his wife Caroline Collovray, also an oenologist with experience in several estates, joined the enterprise as manager of human resources.
And in 2019, Pierre-Alexis Terrier, son of Florence and Jean-Luc, returned to the Domaine after studying in Switzerland, London and New Zealand. He works in the vines and in the cellar, both at Davayé and Antugnac.
Collovray & Terrier,
a family business
Today six members of the Collovray & Terrier families work within the company, with a strong sense of cohesion, and with the support of a close-knit, loyal and dedicated team. A solid foundation, to which other family members contribute their expertise here and there. Some of them are the source of grapes purchased by Collovray & Terrier, ensuring a regularity in quality and cultivation methods.
