Once Upon a Time in Arton… Discover our Story!

Did you know that the iconic “M” that overlooks the gate of the domaine has always been there? Patrick de Montal and Victoire de Montesquiou have taken it as a sign that Arton was always waiting for them.   

It was August 28, 1978. With just one look, both Patrick de Montal and Victoire de Montesquiou knew  that the domaine of Arton was going to be the key to their dream. Its charterhouse dating from the 19th century, built of golden stone that reflected the rich yellow of dusk. Its Italian inspired terraces. The “M” adorning the main gate, like an auspicious talisman. The soft beauty of the landscape, the land of a thousand hillsides, which meanders to the peaks of the Pyrenees. And Nature… The wild cyclamen, the peonies and the hydrangeas, the clusters of oak trees, the springs and the lake. Arton is an exceptional place!

It goes without saying, leaving everything behind in order to settle at Arton was an obvious choice. Patrick and Victoire turned their backs on their Parisian life in order to return to the place where they were born: Patrick in Rieutort, Victoire in Marsan. Inspired by their love, a love of two passionate people, they had long secretly nursed the idea to return to their ancestral land and to pay homage to the Gascony that they hold so dear. 

The magic of the place was evident, but the domaine itself was in a deep sleep. The charterhouse was dilapidated, the land rented out to farmers. To give it back its soul, Patrick and Victoire let themselves be inspired by their surroundings. What better than the vine to extol the lands of Armagnac?  Besides, Arton has always been a land of history and of wine, as evidenced by the Centenary barrels discovered in the old cellar, and the Roman coins found while cleaning the “Two Cedars” plot. It only awaited a reawakening of its memory. 

To become a winemaker at 40 years old, a complete change of path, and fulfilling a dream – channeling the spirit of Gascony. The first vines were planted in 1981. The following in 1990. Little by little, the domaine took on the shape that we recognize today. But “to experience Arton” is also the joy of living there. Land of good living, Gascony infuses Patrick and Victoire with a way of life that has become their signature. Carried by their wonder and their love of beauty, they let themselves be inspired by Arton. From the elegance of its harvests to the allure of its landscape, it relates to life in its simplest form with taste and serenity. 

Much more than a vineyard, Arton is the dream shared between a man and a woman. It is the love of a place uncovered, revisited and reinvented.