Cestayrols · 11 km
Château Les Vignals
At Cestayrols, one of the most committed estates in the vineyard: organic, Demeter biodynamic and natural wines, on a living farm where sheep, beehives and orchards grow alongside the vines.
Château Les Vignals sits on the right bank of the Tarn, at Cestayrols, on clay-limestone soil. It’s an old estate, one of the first to farm organically in the Gaillacois back in the 1980s. Bought in 1996 by the Vanoli family, it has been run since 2003 by winemaker Olivier Jean, who reconnected with that heritage: organic certification in 2013, Demeter biodynamics in 2020, natural-method wines since 2022.
Here the vine doesn’t grow alone. Of the estate’s eighty hectares, around fifteen are given over to something other than grapes: cereals, orchards, woodland, beehives and a small flock of sheep. A different way of farming, and you taste it in wines that own their “natural” label — pét-nat, orange wine, macerations — as much as in the native Gaillac grapes the estate champions.
Worth knowing before you come: guided tastings are by quote for groups, not walk-in for individuals. Outside July and August the events (concerts, picnic baskets) disappear, leaving the walk through the vines and the shop. And if you’re attached to classic Gaillac, note that the range leans firmly toward natural wine — better to know it than be caught out. To understand the grapes the estate defends, this is a good place to taste them side by side.
Where to find the estate
11 km from Gaillac, on the heights of Cestayrols.
- 1 Château Les Vignals — Les Vignals, 81150 Cestayrols
Estate wines
2 wines, one signature
Natural sparkling, ancestral method, fine and dry.
An orange wine from macerated Mauzac, made the natural way.
Thursday apéro-concerts
SUPER-DELUXE
Pop, Rock, Blues
- Thu09 JULSERIAL ZIKEURPop & rock 80's-90's
- Thu16 JULPARROTS'N ROLLRock 60's-80's
- Thu23 JULGYPSY CUBALatino-gipsy
- Thu30 JULCOCONIGHTSoul, Disco, Funk
- Thu06 AUGLE COMITÉ DES FÊTESCumbia, Rumba, Flamenco
Good to know
- Organic, biodynamic, natural — which is it here?
- All three. The estate has been certified organic since 2013, Demeter biodynamic since 2020, and makes Natural Method cuvées since 2022. It's one of the most advanced in the vineyard on this front.
- Can you walk through the vines?
- Yes, walking trails are freely open all year, outside the harvest. Free, no booking needed.
- What is MauMa?
- An orange wine: a white Mauzac left to macerate on its skins, which gives it the amber colour and some grip. Disconcerting if you expect a classic Gaillac, fascinating otherwise.
- When should you come for the atmosphere?
- In summer: every Thursday in July and August, from 6.30pm, the estate puts on apéro-concerts among the vines — €8 entry (including €4 of drinks), food from local producers, games for children and live music. Online booking is advised. The rest of the year is quieter — a walk and the shop.
Visit the estate
Come taste on site
Monday 2–6pm, Tuesday to Friday 9am–1pm and 2–6pm, Saturday 10am–noon and 2–6pm. Closed Sundays. Free walking trails through the vines.
Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health. Drink responsibly.