Domaine de la Confidence
At Domaine de la Confidence, it’s important to work towards sustainable viticulture, towards certified organic farming and, above all, thoughtful farming, with living soils. Our passion for vines began in 1889 with table grape grower Antonin Cambe.
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Domaine de la Confidence: a passion for life in Châteauneuf-du-Pape
In the heart of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, Domaine de la Confidence embodies the new generation of committed winemakers. This family estate, run by Romain Piallat and Audrey Gagnière, cultivates its vines with respect, sincerity and exacting standards, in an approach entirely focused on nature and the authentic expression of the terroir. On a human scale, the domaine produces rare, precise and profound wines, the reflection of craftsmanship and a passion handed down from generation to generation.
A family history dating back to 1889
It all began in 1889 with Antonin Cambe, a table grape grower in Roquemaure. His daughter Paulette and son-in-law Lucien Piallat took up the torch, tending the vines with love and patience. Their son, Bernard Piallat, while teaching life and earth sciences, continues the family tradition by taking the grapes to the local cooperative winery. In 2016, their grandson Romain decided to take the next step. After completing a BTS in viticulture and oenology, he took over the family land and gradually expanded the vineyard. His partner Audrey leaves the administration to study viticulture and oenology, before joining him on the estate. In 2021, they set up Domaine de la Confidence and made their first wines, realizing a shared dream: to produce their own wines on a human scale.
A living vineyard at the service of the terroir
Today, Domaine de la Confidence covers around nine hectares of land between Roquemaure, Tavel and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This exceptional terroir, composed of rolled pebbles, sand and clay, offers ideal conditions for growing vines. The plots, bathed in sunlight and surrounded by hedges and trees, benefit from an abundance of biodiversity. In 2017, the couple adopted an ecological and sustainable approach, choosing to work “with” nature rather than against it. Spontaneous, permanent grassing between the rows encourages microbial life and preserves soil balance.
Each plot is maintained by hand, without the use of tractors, to prevent soil compaction. Since 2020, small Ouessant sheep have grazed between the rows, ensuring natural shearing and helping to maintain the vines. Yields are deliberately limited to 25 or 30 hectolitres per hectare, ensuring optimum grape concentration. Organic farming certification, obtained in 2023, formalizes an approach already anchored in the estate’s philosophy.
Exceptional terroirs: La Plaine and La Fortiasse
The La Plaine parcel, located on the heights of Roquemaure, is a natural setting bordered by oak and olive trees. Its dry, stony soils are home to old Grenache and Cinsault vines planted in 1946, as well as a few rows of Syrah and Mourvèdre. This diversity produces a complex, well-structured Lirac with a lovely freshness. A project to plant white grape varieties (grenache blanc, roussanne, marsanne and ugni blanc) in gobelets will enrich the estate’s winegrowing heritage, with a view to creating a future white Lirac.
La Fortiasse, in the commune of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, is a slope of rolled pebbles where ten rows of Syrah flourish in the sunshine. This small parcel, surrounded by vegetation and rose bushes, embodies the domaine’s philosophy of diversity, respect for the living and the quest for balance. This is the birthplace of one of the appellation’s most confidential cuvées: a 100% Syrah Châteauneuf-du-Pape, produced in just a few hundred bottles.
Handcrafted, natural winemaking
At Domaine de la Confidence, every step of the winemaking process is guided by the quest for purity and authenticity. Harvesting is done by hand, early in the morning, to preserve the freshness and integrity of the grapes. The grapes are sorted, gently destemmed and then placed in vats. The couple rely on the indigenous yeasts naturally present on the berries, thus avoiding any oenological inputs. The “pied de cuve”, made a few days before the harvest, allows fermentation to begin gently and progressively.
After alcoholic fermentation, the wines undergo malolactic fermentation before being aged for a long time: eleven months for Lirac (in stainless steel tanks) and fifteen months for Châteauneuf-du-Pape (half in oak barrels, half in stainless steel tanks). This dual approach combines richness and precision, while respecting the fruit’s typicity. Bottling is carried out on the estate, as part of an independent, artisanal approach.
Sincere, powerful and elegant wines
Domaine de la Confidence wines are distinguished by their sincerity and depth. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape, made exclusively from Syrah, surprises with its aromatic intensity and natural elegance. Notes of ripe black fruit, mocha and licorice combine with a silky texture and fine tannins. As for Lirac, it expresses all the richness of its terroir of rolled pebbles, with great energy and a long, balanced finish. These confidential cuvées, produced in very small quantities, are the pure expression of the couple’s handiwork and passion.
A sustainable and human vision of wine
Domaine de la Confidence stands for human-scale viticulture, where every gesture counts. The estate’s philosophy is based on three pillars: family tradition, respect for the living and the quest for authenticity. Here, nothing is left to chance: from planting the vines to making the wine, everything is done by the couple, with the help of their family and friends.
Projects are multiplying: planting of white grape varieties to create a new cuvée, construction of a cellar on the estate, development of visitor facilities and opening up to tasting. An olive grove now completes the ensemble, testifying to the desire to anchor the estate in a coherent, sustainable agricultural ecosystem.
Why discover Domaine de la Confidence?
Choosing a Domaine de la Confidence wine means supporting a human and artisanal adventure, where authenticity takes precedence over quantity. It also means rediscovering Châteauneuf-du-Pape from a different angle: that of a couple of passionate winemakers who age their wines with patience, sincerity and respect. Each cuvée tells a story, that of a living land, meticulous work and a deep commitment to nature.
Domaine de la Confidence has established itself as one of the most promising faces of the new generation in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Its organically-farmed wines are seductive in their finesse, balance and intensity. An address to remember for lovers of authentic, rare wines deeply rooted in their terroir.