Château Du Rouet

The history of Château du Rouët

Château du Rouët was originally a Templar farm, then a stagecoach stop. However, occupation of the site goes back much further, with remains of a prehistoric settlement in caves.

Château du Rouët nestles at the foot of Colle du Rouët, whose 560-meter-high red ochre volcanic bar protects it from the elements. Before the French Revolution, the marquis who occupied it came here only occasionally to hunt, when he lived in Trans en Provence. In love with his terroir, he decided to establish a vineyard, surrounded by olive trees, and delegated its management to the local winegrowers. Some of the estate's first vintages were served at the king's table, after having been shipped to Versailles on the Rhône river.

In 1840, when the Reverdit family bought Château du Rouët, with more than a thousand hectares of forest, the estate lived solely from the sale of maritime pine and cork. Around 1880, reconstruction of Château du Rouët began, and three generations of the family (Reverdit, Lagane and Savatier) worked to give it its present form. The basins were first dug in 1876, then it was the turn of the park to be landscaped, as well as the "Grande Maison" and its Italian School painted ceilings in 1880, and finally its chapel saw the light of day in 1898.

Following the gigantic Estérel fire of 1927, which destroyed everything from Mandelieu to La Motte, Lucien Savatier decided to clear part of the forest, create firebreaks and plant Fréjus peach trees and vines. He then built the buildings needed to run the winery.

Bernard Savatier inherited Château du Rouët in 1962 and devoted himself to its expansion. In 1990, he was joined by his sons Martin and Matthieu, who now jointly manage the estate.

The Château du Rouët vineyard

The Château du Rouët vineyard covers just over 70 hectares, set in exceptional natural surroundings, classified Natura 2000. The vines are surrounded by a remarkable forest heritage of redwoods, cedars, palms, bamboos, cork oaks and maritime pines occupying vast restanques.

Vines grow on four distinct terroirs. Soils:

- deep clay, yellow with boulders and pebbles;
- shallow, sandy, resting on sandstone rock;
- deep, sandy and acid with rolled pebbles ;
- deep, sandy and calcareous.

The wines of Château du Rouët

Estérelle - rouge

Red wine with a rich nose dominated by red berries. Its palate is supple and fruity, with a long, delicately spicy finish.

Estérelle - white

The wine is very pale in color, with green highlights. This fresh wine with notes of citrus, notably lime, and acacia flowers is fresh and balanced.

1840 - rosé

This wine has a salmon color. Its intense nose blends blackcurrant and raspberry. The palate is just as fruity, always very fresh.
Also available is the Cuvée Belle Poule, available in three colors, and the Cuvée Fréjus Hermès, in red or rosé.