Family traces go way back to 1246, in the form of the King’s Musketeer, D’Artagnan (born Charles de Batz), but it was really not until around the middle of the 19th century that the Gélas family linked its own destiny to that of Armagnac. In 1865, Guillaume Gélas, a respected barrel maker, bequeathed his business to his son Baptiste, who in turn created the Maison Gélas. He duly moved into the premises currently occupied by the firm, and embarked on the business of making and selling Armagnacs.
In 1910, his son Louis took on the management of the company and acquired a property planted with Manciet vines, the Château de Martet (Martet Castle) which is still in the family fold. Louis was a public figure, and held various offices both in his native town,
and at departmental level
After the Second World War, Pierre followed in his father’s footsteps, and lent the family firm an international dimension. In 1950, he was the first Gers businessman to develop a business in wines and various spirits. He revolutionized his times by offering on an exclusive basis Armagnacs hailing from the terroirs or local regions
of Bas Armagnac and La Ténarèze, at their natural degree of ageing, without reduction. This unique selection of proprietors lends
the resulting product a fine reputation at the grandest of tables,
be it in France or abroad.
Today, Pierre’s son Philippe, representing the fourth generation of the Gélas family to take the reins, has been running the firm since late 2001. He is carrying on in the innovative spirit of his forebears by introducing single varietal Armagnacs, thus asserting the differentness of the Maison Gélas: an alternative Armagnac…...
