"We have developed a nuanced understanding of the different terroirs over the course of establishing the vineyard. For nearly 50 years, we have been striving to understand them in order to express their best qualities." — OLIVIER FAYARD, General Manager of Sainte Marguerite in Provence.
OUR TAKE ON THE ESTATE
Visionaries, they have seen the future prove them right. While a new wind has been blowing over Provence for just a decade, the Sainte Marguerite en Provence estate has been making gourmet rosés for nearly 40 years. Forerunner of an innovative and daring style, that of the great wines of Provence and the first exceptional rosés, this estate is now one of the highest representatives of this wonderful region. And for good reason, the fantastic terroir of La Londe-les-Maures, nestled between land and sea, has almost always benefited from a careful and respectful approach to its environment, long before this practice became widespread. We have been selecting their rosés for more than 10 years now, so it was high time to show you the behind-the-scenes! Fascinating and passionate, the Fayard couple was not, however, from the wine world. By taking up the dynamic of a new and chosen life, this "blank page" turned out to be a wonderful opportunity: that of becoming a winemaker. They did it fully, with conviction, and today Sainte Marguerite en Provence is an unavoidable landmark in the Provencal wine landscape. One is not born a winemaker, one becomes one!
DID YOU KNOW ?
Cru Classé*
Since 1955, Sainte Marguerite en Provence is one of the 18 estates benefiting from this classification with its Fantastique range. *Protected designation Côtes-de-Provence
Organic Wines
The entire range benefits from an environmentally friendly approach. The estate obtained the Ecorcert certification in 2003, for wines destined for France.
La Londe
Recognized by the INAO in 2008, this terroir located between land and sea enjoys remarkable conditions to produce wines of great typicity.
From chance to passion
The story of Sainte Marguerite en Provence begins with Brigitte and Jean-Pierre Fayard in the 1970s. They and their children spent their summers in the Var, a region they loved to the point of wanting to buy a vacation home there. During their visits, they discovered the estate of La Source Sainte Marguerite in La Londe-les-Maures, which they immediately fell in love with. They bought the property in 1977, a few days before the beginning of the harvest. They harvested their first crop - followed by 45 others - and made their first wine.
The authentic expression of a terroir
The Sainte Marguerite vineyard in Provence covers nearly 200 hectares of the most beautiful terroirs of the Côtes-de-Provence AOP. A vineyard built up over time, patiently, by identifying the most qualitative plots and by meticulously selecting the appropriate grape varieties. The vines located in La Londe benefit from a remarkable schistous terroir facing the Golden Islands and an exceptional microclimate. The sunshine, the mistral wind, and the proximity to the sea are the pillars of the balance found in the wines.
A perpetual challenge
Although the estate has acquired notorious recognition, it is not satisfied with its achievements and pursues an ambitious path where creativity and innovation prevail. This translates into a perpetual questioning of their practices at the rhythm of exchanges and technological innovations that allow for millimeter accuracy. Nothing is left to chance to guarantee wines of a constant style, marked by their origin and not the uncertainties of the vintage. For example, experiments on new aging methods are underway.
