The Ressès estate
The Domaine du Château la Caminade entered the Ressès family in 1895. Operated by four generations, it took the name of “Château La Caminade” and gradually established itself as one of the references of the appellation, crowned with numerous medals and awards.
The turning point of 1973
In 1973, the day after the officialization of the Cahors Controlled Appellation, Antonin Ressès, his son Marcel and his grandson, Léonce abandoned bulk and decided to market all their production in bottles. This was the birth of the traditional cuvée called Château La Caminade.
Dominique and Richard
In the early 80s, Dominique and Richard, brothers of the fourth generation, took over the estate, making it evolve profoundly from a qualitative point of view. The exploitation changes dimension. They create La Commandery , a cuvée of excellence which quickly acquires a reputation as a pillar of the appellation.
Having acquired the HVE - High Environmental Value - label in 2016, the brothers produce a high-quality sulfite-free wine, called Seul and renamed Haute voltige .
The transmission
From 2021, the brothers are looking for a buyer capable of continuing the work of exploitation with the same respect for the land and the same quest for perfection.
In 2022, they were contacted by two friends who had been nurturing the project of acquiring and operating a wine estate for fifteen years. From this meeting with Xavier Gravelat and Hervé Chauvin, a formidable cooperation was born to transmit this ancestral heritage.
Xavier and Hervé take over the estate in August 2023, accompanied by Dominique, his wife Frédérique and Richard.
Xavier, the winemaker
Xavier Gravelat, an agricultural engineer and oenologist by training, never gave up his dream of living in harmony with vines and wine, even if destiny led him to completely different professional activities on the other side of the world.
The year 2022 is set to be the year of the realization of deep aspirations and it is at the age of 58 that the Caledonian makes the courageous choice of a professional and personal reconversion.
The Gravelat family leaves New Caledonia for Occitania to experience a great adventure.
It was with his daughter Salomé that Xavier decided to take over the reins of the estate.
“The choice of Cahors is the choice of a grape variety, Malbec, expressive and carnal; the choice of a place, Quercy, authentic and sincere; the choice of a culture, that of the women and men of Occitania; the choice of a country, France, my roots.”
Xavier Gravelat
Hervé, the passionate one
Hervé, descended from a family of winegrowers, was steeped in a love of good wine from a young age.
By settling in New Caledonia, he quickly became a member of the Association des Œnophiles Calédoniens where he met his friend Xavier, driven by the same passion for wine and terroirs. From then on, each meal was an opportunity to project oneself into a wine-growing aftermath.
The hours spent, for so long, dreaming in front of the announcements of estate sales are transformed, 20 years later, into active research. You just have to find the right estate, the human-sized tool that will allow you to make an excellent wine that they will love to drink, share with family, friends and all amateurs driven by the same taste for good things.
Château La Caminade is an obvious choice.
Salomé, the smile of the estate
Bathed in a love of wine and gastronomy since her early childhood, Salomé naturally followed her father into the great adventure. In the cellar, at trade fairs, on the phone, she lights up every exchange with her smile, with contagious enthusiasm. The Oléti collection is in the image of Salomé, a daughter of the islands, sparkling and mischievous. Oléti Salomé!
Salome
"Who are we? Who am I? Here, I understood that we belong to the land that we cherish. I belong to this land that adopted me."
