Domaine Gavoty

Roselyne Gavoty, who has helmed her family’s domaine since her ancestor Philémon acquired it in 1806, oversees 50 hectares of vines on a Roman-era farm in the commune of Cabasse called Campdumy(“harvest fields” in old Provençal), situated along the snaking Issole River in the northwestern sector of the Côtes de Provence appellation. Surrounded by oak and pine forests and bordered by the Issole, Domaine Gavoty is a polycultural farm encompassing 110 hectares in total, and the family has worked the land without synthetic chemicals for decades, obtaining organic certification in recent years. Our first meeting with Roselyn, who has been involved at the estate since 1985, was a moving experience. A serpentine driveway flanked by beautifully tended vineyards led us to the main grounds, and Roselyn, tan and wiry, emerged from the simple, classic house to greet us. Bouncing around in her old 4×4, we explored the property and its varied terrain, as Roselyn opined ruefully about Provence rosé’s descent into rank commercialism in recent years, decrying its relegation to the status of a “boisson” (“drink”) gulped down mindlessly by hordes of “consommateurs mouton” (“sheep consumers”). She was already winning us over, and we yet to taste a single thing!