domaine de nalys, guigal
Domaine de Nalys is in new hands.
(Image credit: DomainedeNalys.com)

Maison E. Guigal has purchased its first wine estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Maison E. Guigal has acquired Domaine de Nalys in Southern Rhône.

Domaine de Nalys dates to the 17th century, making it one of the oldest estates in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation.

Domaine de Nalys is dedicated to producing red and white wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Most known for its whites, the domaine covers 50 hectares in three main sectors: Nalys, Sénéchal and the famous terroir of La Crau. It cultivates all 13 grapes authorised in the appellation.

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The domaine was previously owned by Groupe des Assurances Mutuelles Agricole (Groupama), a French insurance group. Before that, it was owned by Doctor Dufays until 1975,

No fee was disclosed, but according to some experts, the price likely reached between €40 million and €45 million.

Maison E. Guigal would have had to submit a far higher bid than its competitors to win the deal. Transactions in Châteauneuf-du-Pape are very rare.

‘Our family has been buying and ageing wines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape since 1946,’ Marcel Guigal told Decanter.com, showing his family’s excellent knowledge of Châteauneuf’s terroirs.

‘It’s a “coup de coeur”,’ said Philippe Guigal. ‘Our family is very proud to join Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s appellation, and we look forward to getting to work.’

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Yohan Castaing
Yohan Castaing
Decanter Magazine and DWWA Judge

Bordeaux native Yohan Castaing is a freelance journalist, based in France. He reviews wines from the Loire, Languedoc, Roussillon, Provence, southwest France and Champagne houses for The Wine Advocate. He founded Anthocyanes, a French wine guide, and Velvety Tannins, a guide to the wines of the Rhône Valley. He also writes for wine publications including Gault&Millau and Jancis Robinson. Castaing has held a variety of positions in the wine industry such as wine buyer and marketing director. He was a wine marketing consultant and the author of several books about wine marketing and wine tourism before, in 2011, he became a full-time freelance wine journalist focusing on the industry and wine reviews.