Domaine de l'Olivette has been in the same family for over 200 years and it is one of the oldest wine estates in Bandol. Originally, Olivette was a farmhouse where mixed agriculture was practiced with wheat fields, fruit orchards, vines, and olive groves, which gave the Estate its name. The Sylvabelle family, originally from Marseille and ancestors of Jean-Luc Dumoutier, the current owner, acquired the Estate in the 18th century. In 1930, the Domaine was passed on to Raymond Giraud, Jean-Luc's grandfather, and gradually the focus of the farm moved towards vine-growing and winemaking. Ten years later, in 1941, Bandol was granted its own Appelatlion d’Origine Controlee and Domaine Olivette was among its pioneers. Subsequently, in the 70s and 90s, the domaine undertook a major modernization of the cellar.
The domaine’s vineyard land covers an area of 50 hectares, located on the hillsides of Castellet, a village planted to vines as early as the 6th century BC and located a mere 6 miles from the Mediterranean. The natural amphitheater is tilted to the south and south-west, shaped by generations of winegrowers who patiently built miles of restanques, the ancient stone terraces that allow for viticulture and define the Bandol landscape.
Yields are kept low, averaging at 40 hectoliters per hectare, and the cultivation of the vine is dictated by the respect of traditions and the environment, minimizing the impact of viticultural practices, respecting the ecosystem, and preserving its biodiversity through the creation of "ecological corridors", which allow the fauna and flora to develop. Domaine de l’Olivette does not use chemical weed killers or insecticides and has been awarded the High Environmental Value recognition every year since 2014.
Temperature-controlled tanks are the preferred vessels to carry out fermentation, complemented by the use of oak barrels for the elevage of the wines. Domaine de l’Olivette’s approach in the cellar is a blend of innovation and respect for tradition, where the computerization of production data works alongside human know-how and skills.
