Here, for hundreds of years wine and history have gone hand in hand
Standing above the village of Flassans-sur-Isole, in the heart of the hills of the Var, the Commanderie de Peyrassol was founded in the 13th century by the Knights Templar. This great expanse of fertile soil was a popular staging post and a place of rest for large numbers of pilgrims setting off for the Holy Land. As one of the jewels of Provence, the domaine has always maintained its agricultural and winegrowing traditions.
1256
During the reign of Raymond Berenger V, the Count of Provence Alphonse II granted to Guillaume Catel, the Master of the Houses of the Temple of Provence, the co-seigneury of Cogolin which was placed under the control of Peyrassol. Although it is not known when the Commanderie de Peyrassol was founded (probably in 1204) a parchment scroll dating from the time of the Templars and conserved in the Marseille archives shows the accounts of the Commanderie for the 1256 harvest – 44 milleroles (28 000 litres) of good, honest wine.
1308
Four months after the arrest of the Templars of the Kingdom of France, the Templars of Provence were imprisoned in their turn.
1311
The Order of the Knights of Malta inherited the Commanderie de Peyrassol along with all the other assets of the Templars. The vineyard, lovingly maintained, remained in the possession of the Knights of Malta until 1789.
1790
Following the French Revolution the Commanderie became the property of the nation and was then acquired by the Rigord family. Since then, it has been the wives of Peyrassol who have managed the domaine while their husbands pursued their careers in the liberal professions, until Dr Rigord inherited the domaine in 1967 and set about replanting a large portion of the property.
1977
Françoise Rigord decided to bottle and market the wines of the Commanderie.
2001
Philippe Austruy, a man with a passion for wine, purchased the property and gave it a new lease of life.
2002
Restructuring of the vineyard, planting of the first olive grove.
2003
Creation of a new wine store.
2005
Acquisition of the registered plot of Peyrassol
2009
Completion of the restoration of the terraces with traditional Provençal dry-stone walls
2015
Construction of a new vat room entirely dedicated to red wines. This wine store will allow red wines to be vinified and matured with a greater degree of precision, thus highlighting the inherent qualities of the terroir.
