With the summer holidays upon us, thoughts are turning to everyone’s favourite tipple in the sunshine – a chilled glass of rosé. Many of the most popular varieties are produced in the South of France, in some of the most beautiful regions of the world, with some stunning châteaux to match. From Château d’Esclans, which produces Whispering Angel and The Pale, to Château Sainte Roseline, home of Kylie Minogue’s range, which hits the US this month, join us on a tour of some of the most exclusive estates on the rosé wine trail.
Just one sip of Château Minuty’s crisp elegant rosé is enough to transport you to a sun-drenched terrace on the French Riviera. And no wonder. Overlooking the iconic bay of St Tropez, Château Minuty has been producing its refined portfolio of wines for three generations of the Matton-Farnet family.
The 19th-century estate, which was built during the reign of Napoléon III, was acquired by Gabriel Farnet in 1936 and has become one of the most highly esteemed châteaux on the Côte d’Azur.
The main house, or 'maison de maitre', which is now used for tastings and inhabited by the sister of the current owners, benefits from 40cm (15.7in) thick walls and shady trees to protect it from the heat of the Provençal summer.
Along with the main house, the estate’s charming chapel, located at the heart of vineyards, dates back to the Second Empire. Measuring just 70 m2 (753 sq ft), it has a single nave, a marble altar, chandeliers and an elaborate ceiling depicting the four evangelists. Still employed for important events by the family, it was regularly used by the Spanish workers who helped with the harvest here until the middle of the 20th century.
With over 160 hectares of vineyards in the heart of Provence, Château Minuty is one of the few estates to be certified ‘Cru Classé’, deemed exceptional. The great rosés of Château Minuty are made from Grenache, the "king of rosés", and Tibouren, emblematic of the Saint-Tropez Peninsula.
La Bastide de Verez, the most recently acquired of the Matton family's estates, is nestled at the foot of the Massif des Maures, in the centre of the Var region, in a preserved environment of cork oaks and umbrella pines. The estate comprises 40 hectares of vineyards, at the heart of which is a magnificent Provençal bastide or country house, offering elegant guest rooms. The estate adjoins the Domaine de Chateauneuf, which has belonged to the family since the end of the 19th century.
The family decided to extend their guest accommodation so that friends and clients could experience daily life on a wine estate. Visitors can learn about the wine-making process, enjoy magical walks on foot or horseback around the estate, or simply relax with a glass of “pool-rosé”, served in a larger glass with ice, around the swimming pool. You can rent out the whole property or individual rooms.
Tucked up in this comfortable bed in the mezzanine suite, a charming room on two floors, you can immerse yourself in the breathtaking views of the vineyards, or take advantage of its private access to the pool.
Verez’s unspoiled woodland setting is a perfect place to unwind. The Bastide’s comfortable living room, with its stylish furnishings, is an ideal spot to join with friends around the fireplace in winter or to escape the heat of the summer, with a glass of rosé, naturally.
Home to Whispering Angel, The Pale, Rock Angel and a host of other popular rosé varieties, Château d’Esclans is in the heart of Provence, northeast of St Tropez. Now in its sixteenth vintage, Sacha Lichine bought the magical estate in 2006 and kick-started the “Rosé Renaissance” with his portfolio of superb rosé wines, which have taken the world by storm.
The stunning 667-acre estate Lichine bought for about $13.5 million (£11 million) 16 years ago has become a destination for rosé aficionados. Visitors are given a special peek at the wine-making process and get to sample its full range. Few, however, get to visit the chapel where its most famous wine Whispering Angel was born, its name referencing to the two cherubs carved on the wall.
The buttercup-yellow château, built in the mid-19th century and seen here in bloom with blue hydrangeas, is not typical of the Provence area and was inspired by a Tuscan villa design. Its cellar is the oldest in the region and dates back to 1201, when the original château was gifted by the Comte de Provence to Gérard de Villeneuve in 1201.
Previously considered unrefined in wine circles, the rosé revolution has exploded over the past decade. Whispering Angel is a favourite amongst the jet-set and Hollywood elite, including Reese Witherspoon, and Lichine has been hailed the King of Rosé. As a proud official partner of the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, the wine’s distinctive white label turned a beautiful platinum shade for its Jubilee special edition.
It's the former home of celebrity couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. But Château Miraval, in the heart of the Var, not far from Aix-en-Provence, was famous well before "Brangelina" came to town. Surrounded by lush gardens and a rich forest of evergreen and white oak, the house comprises 35 rooms, as well as a separate chapel and a moat. The property has been a wine-producing estate since the 13th century, when a monastery was built on the land and vineyards were planted.
The property hit the headlines in August 2014, when Pitt and Jolie, pictured at a private reception earlier that year,secretly married here. The couple had leased the property in 2008, before sealing the deal in 2011 with a purchase price of $60 milion (£49 million), producing their first rosé, the highly acclaimed Miraval the following March. Jolie has since sold her shares to Tenute del Mondo, following the couple’s divorce in 2019.
The couple teamed up with Marc Perrin and family, owners of the highly esteemed Château Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-de-Pape, to produce their wine, and apparently took a very active role, investing in new equipment and helping to develop the Champagne-like shaped bottle. The Perrin family make many other varieties of rosé, including the very reasonably priced La Vieille Ferme Rosé, which compares very favourably with many of the more expensive brands.
Pitt has since produced his Fleur de Miraval rosé champagne with a price tag of $373 (£306) per bottle, which was served at the Oscars in 2022. He also plans to re-open the famous Château Miraval recording studio, which has sat unused for two decades. The former owner, jazz pianist and composer Jacques Loussier, built the studio in the seventies, and it was used by top artists including Sting, Sade, the Cranberries and Pink Floyd, who recorded sessions here for their 1979 album The Wall.
Thirty minutes from Saint-Tropez, the Château Sainte Roseline, which produces Kylie Minogue’s Côtes de Provence Cru Classé Rosé, dates back to the 10th century. The château itself is an old abbey, with a church that was built in the 11th century and is now classified as a historical monument. The pinkish and yellow stone is typical of Provençal architecture and derives from local mines.
Kylie is a frequent visitor to Château Sainte Roseline, owned by Aurélie Bertin. A passionate art lover, Aurélie is the daughter of Bernard Teillaud, who bought the property in 1994. She also hosts summer exhibitions by contemporary sculptors on the estate.
The final resting place of Sainte Roseline, who was Mother Prioress from 1300 to 1329, the listed Romanesque chapel features contemporary masterpieces by Marc Chagall, Bazaine, Ubac and Giacometti. The cloister is endowed with beautiful half-Gothic, half-Romanesque warheads and bordered by a bicentennial avenue of plane trees which leads to the private park of the Château.
As well as offering tours of the recently renovated cellars and estate, wine tastings and exquisite local cuisine, the château is a hugely popular wedding venue. And no wonder: after exchanging their vows in a medieval chapel, the priest will come from the local village of Arcs-Sur-Argens, the newly-weds can sip rosé in the cloister with guests before a wedding breakfast in the converted cellars or al fresco under the shade of bicentennial plane trees. What could be more romantic?
Situated in La Motte, Var in the heart of Provence, the Château des Demoiselles was built in 1830 and was previously owned by the Grimaldi family, ancestors of the reigning house of the Principality of Monaco. The château has been built in the traditional architectural style of Provence, with huge sycamores flanking the entrance. The estate has 200 hectares of forests and 72 hectares of vines.
An avenue of one-hundred-year-old plane trees lead to the Provençal country house, which has now been converted into a charming guesthouse. Formerly Domaine Saint-Michel d’Esclans, the property was renamed Château des Demoiselles by Bernard Teillaud, when he bought the estate in 2005. This is in homage to his daughter Aurélie Bertin and to the so-called “demoiselles de Provence”, daughters of the last Count of Provence and Toulouse, who all went on to become queens.
Current owner Aurélie Bertin has breathed new life into the property, updating its six bedrooms with a Provençal bohemian vibe. Surrounded by lush gardens and swimming pool, it’s also a popular venue for weddings or a dream hideaway for those seeking a slower pace.
Guests can take over the whole house, which includes five double bedrooms, a suite which accommodates four people, a lounge and laundry room and this stunning-yet-practical Provençal kitchen, where you can sip a glass of your favourite wine while cooking. The interiors have been decorated in a soft grey and pale pink to reflect the delicate flavour of its popular rosé.
Located in stunning countryside, the estate produces two wine collections: Château des Demoiselles and Charme des Demoiselles, both of which benefit from the know-how and high standards of its sister property Château Sainte Roseline Cru Classé estate. Château des Demoiselles is committed to sustainable development and was awarded the Sustainable Winegrowing label in April 2021.
The only non-Provence property on our list, the Wölffer Estate in Sagaponack in the Hamptons may not boast a stunning château at its centre, but is surrounded by America’s most expensive mansions, including the summer homes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Jon Bon Jovi. Formerly the site of acres of potato farms, the estate was founded in 1988 by German-born entrepreneur Christian Wölffer. Its ochre stucco walls were designed to evoke the rustic architecture of Tuscany.
The venture capitalist founder lived in a stunning property on the estate until his tragic death aged 70 in 2008, following a swimming accident in Brazil. He was succeeded by his son Marc and daughter Joey, who still lives here and introduced the brand’s iconic Summer in a Bottle Rosé, which traditionally sells out every summer.
In addition to the vineyard, Joey and Marc took over The Tasting Room (above), Wine Stand and Wölffer Estate Stables, which are all located on the 170-acre estate in the heart of the Hamptons. It's a popular place to relax, with its leather chairs, rugs, throws and family photos. A home from home.
Wölffer Kitchen Amagansett is the winery’s second restaurant in the Hamptons, the first is nearby in Sag Harbor. With a fresh and vibrant décor, its menu includes rosé-fuelled dishes that pair well with the estate's wines. Long live the summer!
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