Distillerie Agnel
A history rooted in Provence for centuries …
The Agnel family lives in a Luberon hamlet that bears its name since medieval times. "Les Agnels" is nestled in the heart of wild nature, surrounded by hills covered with a fragrant scrubland, which allows the family to develop its first activity: picking wild aromatic plants to sell them to the surrounding towns.
At the end of the 19th century, the family began distilling the harvested plants using a mobile still, transported and installed as close as possible to the place of harvest.
Véronique Agnel explains: « We started distilling lavender flower in 1895. Since then, 5 generations have succeeded one another, developing the company and innovating in harvesting and distillation processes to constantly improve the quality of the products.
Farmer, distiller, trader, the Agnel family has been able to pass on to each generation a kown-how inextricably linked to a history and a passion: that of aromatic plants and their distillation.
The last two generations of the family, Raymond Agnel and his daughter, the current distiller Véronique Agnel, have, through their research and their willingness to innovate, combining tradition and modernity, enabled the distillery to grow significantly.
This aromatic plant distillery, one of the oldest in France, offers two distillation processes
- the traditional distillation in fixed stainless stills,
- the « ground-green » distillation in mobile containers used as distillation vessel.
A pioneer and ambitious man, Raymond Agnel did not just distill the emblematic local plants of Provence ; he went to source all around the world, other plants, seeds, roots... enabling « Distillerie Agnel » to expand its production range and establish the international trading part of the company.
Véronique Agnel followed in his footsteps, working for 10 years as General Manager at his side. She further developed her expertise within other companies in the industry, while continuing to manage the 50-hectare agricultural estate. She also made things evolve, introducing organic plant cultivation and developing the ranges of hydrosols.
Towards a new development…
Since its creation, Distillerie Agnel has been an exclusively family owned company. In 2024, it has welcomed a new partner: Louis Lecoeur, to write a new page in its development.
Louis Lecoeur joined Véronique Agnel as a shareholder in 2024. Expert in fragrances, cosmetics, aromas and essential oils, he has worked with major raw materials companies and advised their clients on aromatic solutions.
He joins forces with Véronique Agnel to further develop the company in France and abroad, where they each have a strong professional network.
Together, they intend to continue the adventure, by investing in improved distillation techniques and continuing to select the finest essential oils in France and abroad.
"I have always been passionate about essential oils and their very broad aromatic virtues. They offer consumers multiple benefits dealing with beauty, nutrition and well-being. When I met Véronique, I was immediately seduced by her energy and the incredible history of Domaine Les Agnels. I want to continue with her this beautiful story, so authentic, by letting the world discover ancestral know-how in a magnificent French region."
Les Agnels: an agricultural estate, a distillery
AN AGRICULTURAL ESTATE
The fields of Domaine Les Agnels stretch across the heights of Apt, from the distillery to the Claparèdes plateau, in the heart of the most beautiful landscapes in the Luberon Regional Nature Park. Today, on this 200-hectare estate, 50 hectares of aromatic plants are planted, with an emphasis for organic farming. The estate's thyme, rosemary, lavender and lavandin are exclusively processed by Distillerie Agnel.
A DISTILLERY
Built in 1957, the distillation tool has been expanded several times and now consists of two 6,000-liter stills and one 4,000-liter still.
Distillerie Agnel also has a mobile distillation unit that enables aromatic plants to be harvested directly from the fields, with :
- 4 x 18m3 trailers
- 2 x 20m3 tanks
For a total production capacity of 128 m3.
An experimental 200-liter still, the "Aromaprocess", allows to carry out distillation tests on new plants, produce hydrosols and provide small-volume distillation services.
Our values and commitment
Distillerie Agnel is committed to sustainable development, using environmentally-friendly practices throughout its production and giving priority to organic essential oils.
It favors short supply chains for raw materials, working closely with producers in France and abroad who share the same ethical values.
Our values and commitment in 5 points :
- Work in an environmentally friendly way with eco-responsible cultivation, production and processing methods,
- Strive for zero waste (recycling of lavender straw),
- Use renewable energies and produce our own energy for self-consumption (installation of photovoltaic panels),
- Manufacturing quality products for our customers: essential oils and hydrosols, some of which are certified organic,
- Perpetuate our ancestral and family know-how.
Our quality guarantee: regulations and labels
Distillerie Agnel offers conventional or organic products in compliance with French and international regulations.
We work very rigorously to ensure the highest product quality.
We provide our customers with the technical and regulatory documents of our products : batch analysis report, technical data sheet, safety data sheet...
