Château Margüi is one of the oldest and most prestigious wineries in southern France and is famed for its incredible Provence rosé wine. It forms part of the Côteaux Varois en Provence appellation in the heart of "calcareous Provence”, thought by many critics to be the finest part of the entire region. Its mineral-rich soils of limestone, clay, flint, and gravel combine with the Mediterranean-cooled southern French sun to offer the ideal setting to produce world-class red, white, and rosé wines.
Château Margüi can trace its roots back to Roman times, having been established in around 600 BCE. While it was originally used to produce everything from wheat and oil to fruits and vegetables, over time, successive owners realised that the true calling of this stunning estate was wine.
Chateau Margüi: The Rise Of Skywalker
Alas, in common with so many southern French wineries, Margüi lost its way in the 20th century. Wars took their inevitable toll, and when peace was restored, the focus was on quantity, not quality, and vital investments in the vineyard and winery weren’t made. That began to change in 1999 when it was sold to Marie-Christine and Philippe Guillanton, who breathed new life into Château Margüi’s winemaking activities. Vineyards were replanted, and the wines again lived up to their reputation.
In 2017, it was acquired by a new owner, a man who’d fallen in love with the property’s wines and the story behind them. That man was none other than storyteller extraordinaire George Lucas, and Château Margüi became one of the Skywalker Vineyards.
The Skywalker Vineyards project was created in 1991 and includes several stunning estates such as Viandante del Cielo. Driven by a philosophy of respect for the land and combining tradition with innovation, under Lucas’s ownership (and with a multi-million pound investment), the wines of Château Margüi have reached even greater heights.
What Makes The Wines Of Château Margüi So Good?
Great wine requires a combination of nature and man working together in harmony, and that’s exactly what we have here. The complex soils give the vines enough nutrients to thrive, but being so free draining, they use much of their energy digging deep for water, which reduces yields and adds concentration. The climate is also ideal. While most of us think of Provence as sun-drenched, winters can be cold, and throughout the year, the vineyards are cooled by Mediterranean breezes, which help prolong the growing season and enhance the wine's aromatics.
In keeping with the Skywalker Vineyards' philosophy, Margüi produces wines organically. The vineyard is certified organic, and cultivation takes place without using chemical treatments. In the winery, which was rebuilt in 2018, a non-interventionist approach is taken. This involves letting nature take its course while employing state-of-the-art technology, including amphorae-shaped fermentation tanks and gravity pumps, to give the wines the gentlest treatment.
Which Château Margüi Wine Should You Try?
The short answer to that is all of them! While their wines have always been good, the improvements since 2017 have been dramatic, and we can say hand on heart that these are some of the very best red, white, and rosé Provence wines you can buy. We’d go as far as to say that they are the equal, if not the superior, of many of the more famous Provence producers, such as Domaines Ott, with the bonus of being significantly cheaper. If we had to choose, we’d say the following wines are captivating starting points:
Château Margüi Rosé – is a stunningly beautiful wine. Produced from old vine Cinsault, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah, Chateau Margüi Rosé’s pale colour belies a wine of arresting depth and intensity. Gentle red and black berry fruits mingle with complementary notes of citrus, apricot, vanilla, and dry, dusty minerals to create a sublime wine experience with or without food. Lovely now, it will develop further over the next 3-5 years
Château Margüi Provence Blanc – while Provence rosé steals much of the limelight, wine insiders will point to the region’s whites. Wines like the Margüi Provence Blanc offer Burgundian levels of complexity with the refreshment of a great Loire Sauvignon Blanc. Produced from Rolle, it offers floral aromas and a palate that’s full of pear, apple, white peach, melon and a juicy twist of lemon
Bastide de Margüi 1784 Rosé – one of the estate’s flagship wines, the Bastide de Margüi 1784 Rosé is a must-try for all serious wine lovers. Using Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah from selected plots, it combines delicacy and power to impressive effect. The bouquet is fragrant and inviting, offering candied grapefruit, creamy vanilla, white peach and raspberry. Again, the palate is reminiscent of a Burgundy, with its creamy texture, while grapefruit zest, rhubarb, fresh strawberries and plump red cherries give a lovely, food-friendly rosé
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about the wines of Château Margüi. If you’d like to try them, you can browse our range of Château Margüi wines here.