Château d'Astros

The history of Château d'Astros

The history of Château d'Astros goes back more than eight centuries, to the time of the Knights Templar. The castle came into being in the 13th century, on the remains of a Roman estate, when the Knights Templar settled on the highly fertile Argens plain to found a farm. The order ruled the estate until it was eradicated by Philippe Le Bel in 1314. Château d'Astros was then taken over by the Knights of Malta.

In the 17th century, the farmhouse was renovated and converted into a Commanderie, while the estate's first winery was built. In addition to wine-growing, cereal-growing, fig-growing, olive-growing and livestock-raising, Château d'Astros also became a place of worship, with the construction of the Saint Lambert chapel.

In 1802, after being temporarily nationalized during the French Revolution, Château d'Astros was purchased by a wealthy Marseille soap maker, Maximin Martin.

In 1963, the estate became the property of Bernard Maurel, who set about renovating the buildings, as well as the vineyard. A new cellar was built, while new grape varieties were planted.

The result was the production of the estate's first AOC Côtes de Provence in 1970. Previously producing mainly red wine, Château d'Astros now specializes in rosé wines. Today, Château d'Astros is managed by Bruno Maurel, a priest at the Jean-Joseph Allemand youth institute in Marseille, assisted by nephews and nieces.

The Château d'Astros vineyard

The Château d'Astros vineyard covers 80 hectares. Its grape varieties include Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Rolle, Caladoc and Carignan.

The vines benefit from generous sunshine, accompanied by a fresh, powerful wind that cleanses the vines and naturally rid them of parasites. The soils are diverse and can be divided into two main parts: a quite dry clay-limestone terroir where the vines are deeply rooted and create concentrated, complex wines; a very rich alluvial terroir on the edge of the Argens which engenders the production of light, fruity, fresh wines.

Since 2021, the estate has been certified organic. Harvesting takes place when the moon is at its peak, taking advantage of the coolness of the night which helps preserve aromas and flavors.

The wines of Château d'Astros

Château d'Astros offers three cuvées of wine.

Cuvée Amour

- Amour rosé - AOP Côtes de Provence composed of Grenache, Cinsault and Mourvèdre.
- Amour blanc - AOP Côtes de Provence made entirely from Rolle grapes.
- Amour rouge - AOP Côtes de Provence, made from a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet.

Cuvée Absolu

Cuvée Absolu is an AOP Côtes de Provence rosé. It is composed of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.

Cuvée Aventure

- Aventure rosé - IGP Méditerranée made with Grenache, Cinsault and Caladoc.
- Aventure blanc - IGP Méditerranée made from a blend of Muscat, Ugni Blanc and Sauvignon.
- Aventure rouge - IGP Méditerranée made with Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault.