Baronnie de Bourgade has been in Gilles family since the French revolution. The property had belonged to the Church and was therefore considered a “Bien Nationale” and sold off by the revolutionaries. It was acquired by the Baron de Latude.

Since an early age Gilles participated in the tending of the vines and in the wine-making. Since 1994 he has run the vineyards with the help of a specialised team of workers.

For wine-making he is assisted by Jean Natolie a well known oenologist in the Languedoc. When Gilles acquired the property wine was no longer made at Bourgade, the grapes were sold off at the harvest to local wineries. In 2003 Gilles and his wife Ruth decided to launch their own bottles (one rosé and two reds) beginning with a small production of 7,000 bottles.

In 2004 “Les 3 Poules” Cabernet Franc was awarded a star in the French wine bible “Le Guide Hachette”, by Christmas they had sold out of their first vintage. In 2005 25,000 bottles were produced and the range expanded to include a white Vermentino, a red Syrah-Grenache blend (La Coquine) and the oak barrelled red Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – “La Mère Poule.”

In March 2005 the Cabernet Franc was awarded a Trophy at the London wine fair for the best Cabernet Franc Vin de Pays. “La Coquine” won a similar award in Dublin the following September and Les 3 Poules Cabernet Franc another * in the 2005 Guide Hachette.