Domaine Milan : a History of Generations

• Located in the heart of the Alpilles in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, the estate was founded by Robert Milan, a local notary, who had acquired a traditional Provençal farmhouse. In 1956, Robert had the idea of planting vineyards, hoping that grape sales would become an additional source of income for the estate. Unfortunately, this venture did not meet the expected success. The activity struggled so much that by the 1970s, the owner was considering pulling up the vines.
• Robert Milan chose another solution: selling bulk wine. However, the wine market in the region was not thriving, and exports struggled to take off. 
•  It wasn’t until 1986 that his son Henri, in his twenties and having completed his military service, decided to take over the estate, abandoning his law studies. Unlike the rest of the family, he would not become a notary. Henri began to build a reputation as an original and unique personality. He ventured into natural wines without sulfites, trusting his instincts and learning through experience. He conducted numerous tests and experiments on the estate, developing biodynamics and eliminating all chemical inputs. His encounters with inspiring winemakers and personalities, who like him, were committed to natural wines, helped him in his journey. He replanted vines of Grenache, Syrah, Chardonnay, Roussanne, Mourvèdre, Pinot Noir, and Rolle across different plots. Including the white varieties, the estate boasts no fewer than twenty different grape varieties. Over the years, the estate has continued to be a territory of experimentation. A key moment was his meeting with Claude Bourguignon, whose in-depth analysis of the blue marl soil on the terroir helped produce the estate’s outstanding white wines. 
• Yet, despite Henri Milan’s efforts and dedication, success remained elusive, and the profitability of the estate became a pressing concern. Should they continue to wait for the results of the monumental work that had been done? The choices made in the 1990s had led to a significant decrease in production. As the family acknowledges, the estate was on the brink of bankruptcy.
• However, in the 1990s, the Galeries Lafayette wine cellar took notice of this atypical estate. Henri Milan began to gain some recognition. At times, certain bold decisions still hindered the estate’s rise, as in 2000 when the sulfite-free reds proved unstable, and they had to discard 16,000 bottles. This, despite the help of Claude Courtois, a winemaker from Sologne, who assisted him through the sulfite-free winemaking process. At the dawn of his 40s, Henri Milan faced a major setback. In 2002, he suffered a stroke, forcing him to reduce his involvement in managing the estate. 

• His son Théophile, who, in keeping with family tradition, was studying law, aspired to lend a hand. In 2010, father and son went to the United States for a last-ditch effort to promote their wines overseas. It was then that, for Théophile, as for his father before him, the passion and love for the estate caught hold. He decided to join his father in 2011, taking on the task of marketing the wines in Paris and abroad. But that was not all. Starting in 2013, Théophile moved to the family estate to learn about cultivation and winemaking alongside his father. With affection, the son describes his father's wines as "artist's wines." Over the years, the professional relationship between father and son strengthened, and in 2017, Théophile, with the help of his sister Emmanuelle (a trained oenologist), cellar master Sébastien Xavier, and his wife Natalie (a former New York sommelier), took over the management of the estate while maintaining the style and sensitivity to natural wines. The wines are crafted plot by plot to develop a unique identity on these exceptional terroirs composed of limestone scree and blue marls facing the Mediterranean.Through hard work and dedication, the wines began to gain recognition both in France and abroad, particularly the red cuvées, which became more renowned than many wines from the region. 

• Today, the future of the Milan estate appears secure, and its wines are now among the most sought-after in Provence. Wine lovers have understood this well, particularly appreciating Clos Milan, Le Jardin, La Carrée, and Le Grand Blanc... cuvées with magnificent potential, wines full of emotion, especially when one knows the history of this estate, which, despite the challenges, has managed to preserve an independent spirit, often the source of unique wines.

The Domaine Milan in a few key dates:

• 1956: Purchase of the property by Henri's father, Robert Milan.

• 1962/1963: First vines planted (Grenache, Syrah, Carignan).

• 1973: Construction of the winery with concrete vats.

• 1986: Creation of Domaine Milan by Véronique and Henri Milan, previously known as

"Mas de la Tuilliere Vieille," referring to the fact that the soil was primarily made up of clay

used for tile-making during Roman times.

• 1986: First vintage bottled.

• 1996: Meeting with Claude and Lydia Bourguignon, former agronomists from INRA, who

conducted an analysis of the blue clay terroir of Domaine Milan. Meeting with Claude

Courtois, a winemaker from Sologne and Henri's mentor, who explained the principles of

agronomy and natural winemaking.

• 1998: Certification of the estate in organic farming.

• 2000: Vinification, aging, and bottling of all reds without added SO2.

• 2001: Planting of the Jardin plot.

• 2002: Sébastien Xavier becomes the cellar master of the estate.

• 2010: First vintage of Le Jardin.

• 2011: Théophile joins the estate.

• 2013: Beginning of horse plowing on certain plots, including Le Jardin.

• 2017: Natalie, a former New York sommelier, joins the estate and marries Théophile.

• 2024: 15th vintage of Le Jardin.