At A Glance
- Field
- Detail
- Region
- Rhône Valley, southern Rhône
- Home cellar
- Sablet
- Vineyards and cellars
- 140 hectares across three winemaking cellars
- Business model
- Family-run and independent, with partnerships with approximately 350 vinegrowers
- Range
- Southern Rhône appellations including Gigondas, Rasteau, Côtes du Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Vacqueyras, Tavel, Valréas and Bagnols-sur-Cèze
The Producer
Jean-Guy Lavau and Anne-Marie returned from Tunisia and took charge of a small winemaking cellar in Sablet. Maison Lavau was officially created there in 1965. When their parent retired, Frédéric and Benoît Lavau took charge in 2000 and became producers as well as traders.
The house combines its own estates with fruit from partner vinegrowers. In 2013, it merged with Château Maucoil in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, creating Groupe Maucoil Lavau, co-owned by the Lavau and Bonnet families. Maison Lavau is one of the last family-run and independent wine estates in the Rhône Valley. Its philosophy centers on sharing, pleasure and simplicity, with wines intended to be fine, generous and affordable.
Place
Maison Lavau's three owned estates sit in Valréas, Bagnols-sur-Cèze and Rasteau. The wider southern Rhône range includes Gigondas, Côtes du Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Vacqueyras and Tavel, as well as Valréas and Bagnols-sur-Cèze.
An appellation name places a wine within a defined area and its production rules, so the label identifies the regional category carried by the bottle before the first sip.
Wines
Maison Lavau's Rhône bottles include Lavau Gigondas 2019, a red Gigondas, Domaine Les Evigneaux Rasteau 2019, a red Rasteau, and Koudiat Côtes du Rhône 2021, a red Côtes du Rhône. The portfolio also includes LivAzur Rosé 2024, a rosé from the Méditerranée region, and Suzanne Mège Pinot Noir Maison Lavau, a red VdP d'Oc.
Red and rosé wines sit across southern Rhône, Méditerranée and VdP d'Oc designations. No grape composition is confirmed for the Gigondas or Koudiat wines.
In The Glass
Koudiat Côtes du Rhône 2021 is vivid red, with red cherry, strawberry, pomegranate and roasted herb notes. It is medium-bodied, with fresh acidity and a juicy, crunchy finish.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose Koudiat Côtes du Rhône 2021 first. It is a Côtes du Rhône red carrying the Koudiat name, which refers to the Lavau family's Tunisian heritage and means hill in Arabic. Lavau Gigondas and Domaine Les Evigneaux Rasteau carry named appellations, giving the range a second step after its regional Rhône wine.
Final Word
Maison Lavau combines family ownership, owned Rhône estates and negociant partnerships with bottles from southern Rhône appellations. Its range also includes Méditerranée rosé and VdP d'Oc Pinot Noir.