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« The Long and Wining Road »The Var Wine RoadText: Ester Laushway
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 | Along the Mediterranean shore between Toulon and Bormes les Mimosas |
| On the Saint Tropez peninsula |
| In the central Var region |
| In the upper Var. |
We will introduce you to the vineyards located in each of the four areas in turn and give you an idea of what you can expect to see and sample there. Since wine tasting tends to build up an appetite and make you long for a comfortable bed at the end of the day, we also give a few suggestions for some tasty restaurants and tasteful hotels.
Please remember that it is possible to appreciate the taste of a wine without swallowing, and that spittoons are not just quaint items of vineyard decoration, but actually intended for use. One excess we do encourage with a completely clear conscience: drink in the beauty of Provence without moderation!
Le Pradet (+33 (0)4 94 21 70 55 ; www.clos-cibonne.com ; open Mon -- Sat)
A
family affair since the late 19th century, the 35-acre domain originally
belonged to the Count of Cibon and the ruins of his grand residence are still
visible today. The ancestors of the present owners, the Roux family, acquired
the land after the French Revolution, when it was parcelled up and sold.
Tibouren, an ancient and demanding grape variety, is the estate’s star, producing 25% red and 75% rosé wines, with a strong, heady bouquet and high alcohol content.
Hyères (+33 (0)4 94 66 40 25; open daily)
With
its tiers of terraced vines, the 125-acre Château de Mauvanne was a grandiose
backdrop for the tumultuous life of its former owner, the Parisian actress
Simone Berriau. In the 1930’s she would rest up from her wild existence at her
neo-classical château in Provence, with such famous guests as Charlie Chaplin,
Colette, Jean-Paul Sartre and the pasha of Marrakech.
Today, the Château de Mauvanne produces 30% reds, 60% rosés and 10% whites.
La Londe les Maures (+33 (04) 94 66 40 07 ; www.galoupet.com; open Mon -- Sat)
Facing
the sea, with a superb view of the island of Porquerolles, the 410-acre estate
(180 of them dedicated to AOC wines), belonged to an even larger domain that
already existed in the time of Louis XIV. Integrated farming methods are applied
to produce 10% elegant whites, 60% fruity rosés and 30% award-winning reds,
which are wood-aged in the superb 17th C vaulted cellar.
La Londe les Maures (+33 (0) : 04 94 01 53 53 ; www.domaines-ott.com; open daily)
One
of three vineyards owned by the renowned Ott family, which produces some of the
region’s most prestigious wines, the 425-acre domain with its imposing,
palm-fringed 18th C villa, was acquired by Marcel Ott in 1936. It was completely
replanted with 125 acres of Semillon and Ugni Blanc, dedicated entirely to the
production of excellent whites, which take on a bracing, tangy aroma from the
sea mists that waft over the vines.
Bormes les Mimosas (+33 (0)4 94 64 80 73 ; www.chateaudebregancon.fr; open Mon -- Sat)
The
splendid 17th C residence, set in a vast 1,000-acre beachfront domain, once
belonged to the marquis of Brégancon, whose ancestral stronghold, the Fort of
Brégançon, is now the summer residence of the presidents of France. Owned by the
Tézenas family since 1816, the 125 acres of AOC vines produce 7% whites, 30%
oak-aged reds and 63% award-winning rosés. The family also owns a magnificent
white-sand beach, the Plage de l’Estagnol, to which you gain access by paying 7€
-- well worth the price.
Right on the private beach just mentioned, l’Estagnol (+33 (0)4 94 64 71 11;
meals from 35€; open until 30 Sep), an outdoor restaurant that would not look
out of place in Tahiti, serves freshly-caught fish grilled on a roaring fire,
salade Niçoise to die for, and the best anchoïade anywhere. Even better, if you
book for dinner, access to the beach is free after 19:00, and you can sip your
aperitif wading in the Med, watching the sunset.
For the night, drive up to the medieval village of Bormes-les-Mimosas, set in a
glorious profusion of flowers, and stay in the enchanting L’Hostellerie du
Cigalou (+33 (0)4 94 41 51 27 ; 21 rooms: 95 – 150€). The flower theme has come
indoors, with fabulous giant blossoms decorating the rooms.
Gassin (+33 (0)4 94 56 12 09 ; open
In its glory days, the magnificent Napoleon III château and its chapel were part of an immense 5,000-acre property. By the 1930’s, only 50 acres of abandoned vineyards remained. Taken in hand by three successive generations of vintners, the vines now spread over three times that area. They produce 25% lightly oaked, fruity reds, 50% peach and apricot flavoured rosés and 25% citrus and pineapple dominated whites.
Cogolin (+33 (0)4 94 54 63 12; www.chateausaintmaur.com; open Mon – Sat and Sun morning
More than just a vineyard, the 185-acre Château Saint-Maur is a historic site, with its square clock-tower, topped by a bell that rings out the hours, its 400-year old oak tree, its Roman remains and ancient chapel and the original house transformed in the 1930’s by a British cigarette manufacturer into the current château. On the estate’s hilly slopes, 60 acres of AOC vines are divided evenly between 45% elegant rosés and 45% distinctive reds, with the remaining 10% producing whites.
Luxurious rooms and superb food are both provided by one address in SaintTropez/Gassin, the Villa Belrose (+33 (0)4 94 55 97 97 35 rooms: 180 – 610€; Menus: 75 – 125€). In a lofty setting overlooking the Bay of St. Tropez, this beautiful villa will pamper you with fine Mediterranean cuisine, a luxurious spa and gracious rooms, each with a private terrace from which to enjoy the stupendous view.
Pignans (+33 (0)4 94 48 80 45; www.rimauresq.fr ; open Mon – Sat)
The Real Mauresque river, from which it takes its name, runs through the 100-acre estate, shaded by the forested Maures mountain range and refreshed by the Mistral wind. The term micro-climate is often misused, but at Rimauresq it is a reality and confers a definite, recognizable character on its outstanding wines. The long-lived, elegant reds represent 40% of the production, the light, fruity rosés 45% and the wonderful, floral whites 15%.
On the N7, between Flassans-sur-Issole and Le Luc, a former vintner’s home, La Grillade au Feu du Bois (+33 (0)4 94 69 71 20 ; www.lagrillade.com ; 14 rooms, 2 suites : 80 – 180€ ; Breakfast :10€ ; Meals : 34€), provides both the savoury meats grilled over an open fire announced in its name and utterly charming rooms, decorated with great taste by its owner, an antiques collector.
Taradeau (+33 (0)4 94 01 53 53 ; www.domaines-ott.com; open Mon – Sat)
Not
far from Le Luc, the superb 18th C Château de Selle, once the residence of the
Counts of Provence, was the first estate bought by Marcel Ott in 1912. He and
his descendants planted 150 acres of vines on the rocky land of the 350-acre
domain. They now yield an exquisite, world-famous rosé, representing 70% of its
production, opulent reds that account for 20% and honeyed whites for the
remaining 10%.
Lorgues (+33 (0)4 94 85 94 94 ; www.chateauroubine.com; open daily)
Surrounded
by oaks and pines, the 280-acre domain has both the ancient Roman road, the Via
Julian, running through it, and a little stream – called a roubine in Provencal.
Belonging to the Knights Templar in the 14th C, then to a succession of
prominent Provencal families, it was bought in 1994 by the French fencing
champion Philippe Riboud and his wife, Valérie, President of the association of
Crus Classés. The 170 acres of vines produce 45% citrusy rosés, 45% rich fruit
and spice-flavoured reds and 10% honeyed, floral whites.
Taradeau (+33 (0)4 94 99 76 76 ; www.chateaudesaintmartin.com; open daily)
Wine has been present on the 250-acre estate since Roman times and monks built the underground cellar in the Middle Ages, digging the stone storage tanks, still used, out of the solid rock. Men may have built the château, but women have directed it almost exclusively since the 18th C, when it passed into the hands of the same family that still owns it today. The 95 acres of vines produce wines that are generally refined and elegant – 40% reds, 45% rosés, and 15% whites.
Les Arcs sur Argens (+33 (0)4 94 99 50 30 ; www.sainte-roseline.com; open daily)
Just outside Les Arcs, 20 km south of Draguignan, this state-of-the-art vineyard is installed in an 11th C abbey. Often visited for its Romanesque chapel which contains an immense mosaic by Chagall and the remains of the 14th C abbess, Sainte-Roseline, preserved in a crystal reliquary, the 450-acre domain produces 35% reds, 50% rosés and 15% whites from its 225 acres of AOC vines.
La Motte en Provence (+33 (0)4 98 10 29 29 ; www. jasdesclans.fr ; open daily)
Sheep
and silkworms, as well as grapes, were once raised on this 155-acre,
family-owned farm. The 125 acres now planted with organically-grown vines are
vinified carefully by traditional methods. The rosé, representing 50% of the
production, has a frank, full flavour; the red, accounting for 40%, is an
enjoyable blend of local grapes that stands up well to oak-aging, the 10% whites
are of the same reliable quality.
Just 20 km north of the medieval town of Les Arcs, in a stunning setting of red, pine-clad cliffs, the Michelin-starred Hostellerie des Gorges des Pennafort (+33 (0)4 94 76 66 51; 16 rooms: 180 – 210€; Menus from 53€) has it all: beautifully kept grounds and comfortable rooms, a fabulous new dining room that combines the latest in modern design with genuine warmth and extraordinary flower arrangements, and a chef, Philippe da Silva (also the owner), who will feed you, like a benign Jewish mother, with a succession of mouthwatering dishes until you beg for mercy – until the next meal!
© 2007 Copyright Ester Laushway & BKWine
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