Château des Coccinelles

Located in Domazan at the southern tip of the Rhône Valley, between the Pont d’Avignon and the Pont du Gard, Château des Coccinelles spans 80 hectares. The estate has been owned by the Fabre family since 1928; Paul-Henri and his brother-in-law Jean-Baptiste took over the reins in 2007.

Three generations, one ideology!

In 1928, Gabriel Fabre, the estate’s founder, built the current farmhouse with his own two hands. Legend even has it that all of this was made possible by a cherry harvest. René Fabre was born the following year within these very walls.

At the age of 21, René took over his father’s estate. Mixed farming was still the norm: vines, cherries, and apricots all grew on the same land. In 1961, he married Marie-Claire, who took charge of the winemaking process. At that time, it was rare for a woman to run a winery.

This led René and his wife to ask themselves: How can we be more in tune with our environment? That was the beginning of organic farming!

The first “Nature et Progrès” international conference was held in 1974. It drew nearly 15,000 attendees and 170 journalists. Shortly thereafter, the Château des Coccinelles passed its first external audits and received its first organic certification, and the first labels bearing this designation were printed.

30 years ahead of everyone else, the Château was a pioneer—and they were right! As a bit of trivia, a tray of cherries was presented to the Minister of Agriculture along with the first set of organic standards.

Raymond Fabre took over management of the estate alongside his sister Christine, who oversaw marketing. Their wine portfolio expanded to include red, white, and rosé. This is when Paul-Henri joined the team, and it was under his leadership that the estate improved in quality and began exporting its wines worldwide.

He decided to plant a cherry tree on the estate as a sign of respect and gratitude.

Discover all the vintages from Château des Coccinelles!

Discover the southern Rhône Valley with Château des Coccinelles

The estate, which stretches across the Signargues plateau, is distinguished by its exceptional geological history. Facing due south and exposed to the wind for more than 200 days a year, its uniqueness lies in the composition of its soil: deeper down, it is clay-rich and covered with rounded pebbles, providing a buffering effect that ensures a steady water supply to the vines.

This key attribute highlights the importance of balance in showcasing the wines’ finesse. Its Côtes du Rhône wines are highly regarded, with the Château and the Domaine producing approximately 80 hectoliters per hectare each year.

All of the wines are aged in tanks, and nothing is left to chance: complete destemming, pumping over and racking, temperature-controlled fermentation, gentle pneumatic pressing…

In short, wines like the 2021 red Syrah are unique and well-preserved.

Discover all the vintages from Château des Coccinelles!

Stories from the Castle

To celebrate its 100th vintage, Château des Coccinelles has produced a special sulfur-free cuvée named after the ladybug’s two wings: “Élytres.”

When Jean-Baptiste Mangin chose the Vino-Lok stopper for his Signargues cuvée, which is made from glass, he noticed that this stopper significantly increased the wine’s aging potential.

The château's wines are recognizable by a small ladybug on the labels; they are widely available in France and are also exported to Northern Europe, North America, and Asia.

Discover all the vintages from Château des Coccinelles!

From September 15 to October 17, the Wine Fair is coming to Les Grappes!

For this September must-have, Les Grappes has been hard at work for several weeks putting together a selection of our finest homemade wines! No more “we’ve got nothing left to drink”—restock your wine cellar to kick off the new school year right and pair with your best apple pies.

Join us for this special event to discover wines from French small-scale winemakers, each with its own fascinating story. This selection features exclusively our finest organic, natural, and biodynamic wines. As always at Les Grappes, we are committed to promoting direct-to-consumer sales.

Treat yourself and enjoy drinks with friends or family meals at home.

Enjoy wines from our 1,200 featured winemakers across France—the perfect opportunity to discover different terroirs and their stories! All wines are delivered directly from the vineyards.