Château Margüi

Château Margüi is a winery located in the commune of Chateauvert, in the Var department of the Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur region. It produces wines belonging to the Coteaux Varois en Provence PDO and the Vin de Pays du Var PGI, under the Ecocert-certified organic label.

The history of Château Margüi

The winegrowing history of the lands that host Château Margüi dates back 2,600 years. At that time, Provence had been taken over by the Romans, who were already cultivating the hills irrigated by the Argens river. They not only produced fruit, vegetables and wheat, but also vines, as amphorae discovered in 2002 attest.

The main part of Château Margüi was built in 1784 by a family from Aix-en-Provence, who had owned the land since the 17th century. They opted for the Aix bastide style of the period, i.e. a main house with lime-rendered walls. The building's three 600 m² floors overlooked a formal garden, linked by a grand staircase.

The annexes were built over time, including a sheepfold, a dovecote and a silkworm farm.

Château Margüi had a complicated start to the 20th century. With the First World War, the young workforce sent to the front was in short supply, while fires multiplied.

After the war, in the 20s and 30s, Château Margüi recovered from the ravages of war with a major restoration. To return to its former glory, its owners diversified their crops, producing melons, apricots, almonds, grapes, olives and more.

In 1999, the heiress of Château Margüi passed the torch to Marie-Christine and Philippe Guillanton, who decided to breathe new life into the vineyard. In 2000, they replanted the vines, renovated the bastide and built a chapel against the west facade. Since 2017, Château Margüi has joined George Lucas' Skywalker Vineyards collection.

The Château Margüi vineyard

The Château Margüi vineyard extends over 15 hectares of vines and 5 hectares of olive groves, amidst 65 hectares of forest. Biodiversity takes pride of place, with a wide variety of tree species, including centuries-old conifers. The area has been awarded the Natura 2000 label, testifying to the quality of the environment.

The topography is hilly, with altitudes ranging from 200 to 300 meters. The climate is rather mild, thanks to the hills that protect the vines from maritime influences and attenuate the power of the mistral wind from the north. As a result, the vineyards are spared the harsh temperatures of winter and the pronounced differences between day and night in summer.

The vines are planted on hillsides, on soil that is predominantly clay-limestone. The Château Margüi vineyard is planted with Syrah, Grenache Noir, Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and Rolle.

The vineyard is managed in the most natural way possible. The grapes are harvested by hand in small crates.

The wines produced are organic, certified by Ecocert since 1999.

The wines of Château Margüi

Château Margüi offers two cuvées, declined in the three dresses: Cuvée Château and Cuvée Bastide. They belong to the Coteaux Varois en Provence PDO, recognized in 1993, and the Vin de Pays du Var PGI.