Domaine Hauvette
Key French Terms
A pioneering biodynamic estate in the Alpilles foothills, where Dominique Hauvette crafts some of Provence's most compelling natural wines.
Domaine Hauvette is a 16-hectare biodynamic estate in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, certified since 2003 and renowned for minimal-intervention winemaking. Founded by former lawyer Dominique Hauvette in the early 1980s, the domaine earned Best Winemaker of the Year from Revue des Vins de France in 2020.
- Located in the Alpilles foothills near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, within Les Baux-de-Provence and IGP Alpilles appellations
- Founded in the early 1980s by Dominique Hauvette, a former lawyer from Savoie, with the first harvest in 1988 from 2 hectares
- Certified biodynamic since 2003
- Among the first winemakers globally to use concrete fermentation eggs
- Named Best Winemaker of the Year by Revue des Vins de France in 2020
- Awarded 3 stars in the Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France 2020
- Grows nine varieties across 16-17 hectares of clay-limestone, fossil-shell-rich soils
History and Origins
Dominique Hauvette, a former lawyer from Savoie, established the domaine in the early 1980s in the Alpilles foothills outside Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. The first harvest came in 1988 from just 2 hectares. Over the following decades, Hauvette expanded to 16-17 hectares and built an international reputation as one of Provence's most important natural wine producers.
- Founded by Dominique Hauvette, a former lawyer from Savoie
- First harvest in 1988 from 2 hectares
- Grew to 16-17 hectares over time
- Named Best Winemaker of the Year by Revue des Vins de France in 2020
Terroir and Climate
The estate sits in the foothills of the Alpilles, a rocky limestone range in western Provence. Soils are clay-limestone (argilo-calcaire) studded with fossil shells, providing excellent drainage and mineral character. The Mediterranean climate brings arid summers with cool nights, while the Mistral wind reduces disease pressure and concentrates flavors in the vine canopy.
- Clay-limestone soils with fossil shells provide drainage and minerality
- Mediterranean climate with arid summers and cool nights
- Mistral winds reduce humidity and disease pressure
- Located within Les Baux-de-Provence AOC and IGP Alpilles
Biodynamic Farming and Winemaking
Hauvette converted to biodynamic viticulture in 2003 and has maintained certification ever since. In the cellar, minimal intervention is the guiding principle: native yeasts drive fermentation, and the domaine is among the first producers anywhere to adopt concrete fermentation eggs for both fermentation and aging. These egg-shaped vessels promote gentle convection currents without imparting oak flavors, preserving the purity of fruit and terroir.
- Certified biodynamic since 2003
- Native yeasts used for all fermentations
- Concrete eggs used for fermentation and aging, among the earliest adopters worldwide
- No fining or heavy filtration in the minimal-intervention approach
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Look it up →Wines and Cuvées
The domaine produces red, white, and rosé wines across nine grape varieties. The flagship red Cornaline blends Grenache, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Amethyste is a single-variety Cinsault red. The rosé Petra showcases the estate's Mediterranean sensibility. White wines include Jaspe (Roussanne), Dolia, and Clairette, all made in the same minimal-intervention style that has earned the estate its international standing.
- Cornaline: Grenache, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon blend
- Amethyste: single-variety Cinsault
- Petra: rosé cuvée
- White cuvées Jaspe (Roussanne), Dolia, and Clairette
Reds show dark fruit, garrigue, and earthy depth with Mediterranean warmth and structured tannins. Whites are textural and mineral, with stone fruit and herbal notes driven by Roussanne and Clairette. All wines share precision and a sense of place rooted in limestone soils and Mistral-cooled vineyards.
- Domaine Hauvette Petra Rosé$30-45The estate's rosé cuvée showcases Mediterranean character from biodynamically farmed Alpilles fruit.Find →
- Domaine Hauvette Amethyste$35-50Single-variety Cinsault red fermented with native yeasts in concrete eggs; precise and terroir-driven.Find →
- Domaine Hauvette Jaspe$35-50Roussanne-based white with textural depth and mineral precision from clay-limestone Alpilles soils.Find →
- Domaine Hauvette Cornaline$55-80Flagship Grenache, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon blend from the estate's oldest, most expressive parcels.Find →
- Certified biodynamic since 2003; one of Provence's benchmark natural wine estates
- Appellation dual identity: Les Baux-de-Provence AOC for reds and rosés, IGP Alpilles for whites and some cuvées outside AOC rules
- Among the first producers globally to use concrete fermentation eggs for both fermentation and aging
- Named Best Winemaker of the Year, Revue des Vins de France 2020; 3 stars in Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France 2020
- Key varieties: Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Roussanne, Marsanne, Clairette, Mourvèdre, Carignan