Brigitte and Jean-Pierre Fayard’s decision to buy Château Sainte Marguerite in 1977 was very much made with the heart. The palm-ringed farmhouse and its seven hectares of vines, although charming, needed some love and attention. The easy choice would have been to settle for making something simple and easy-drinking. But instead, the couple committed from the start to making wines of the highest quality. Nowadays, Brigitte and Jean-Pierre’s children are in charge of operations, but the emphasis on exceptional wines is unchanged. Today Château Sainte Marguerite is one of only 18 estates to carry the Cru Classé Côtes de Provence designation.
Olivier Fayard (pictured) and his brother Enzo are now in charge of operations at Sainte Marguerite.
Back to the roots
Respect for nature has always been key to the Château’s identity: the vineyards and winery acquired Ecocert (organic) certification since 2003, using no fungicides, herbicides or insecticides, and are also certified vegan (no animal-derived products) for almost a decade. More vineyards have been added over the years. Brothers Olivier and Enzo work with a number of different terroirs between coastal La Londe and Pierrefeu, further inland.
Sainte Marguerite’s vineyards were carefully selected for their terroir and suitability for growing certain grape varieties. Credit: Vendange Ikon.
Diversity is key
Sainte Marguerite’s vineyards have been carefully selected for over half a century for the quality and diversity of their terroir and for their suitability for growing certain grape varieties. The brothers are able to combine wines of different characteristics, from varying soils and microclimates, carefully layering them into complex blends that are brilliantly representative of the region, but also poised and modern.
The Fantastique collection offers the perfect expression of Sainte Marguerite’s unique terroir.
The Fantastique collection
The Fantastique collection (rosé, red and white) offers the perfect expression of this unique terroir. Selected from the best Cru Classé plots, with vines propagated using massal selection, they are wines of freshness and minerality, but with balance, texture and depth. The award-winning Fantastique rosé is a must-try for lovers of Provence wines. But the Syrah-dominant red (unusual in the Côtes de Provence) and the white – Vermentino with light barrel ageing – are also gastronomic, ambitious wines. It’s no wonder that Château Sainte Marguerite is a regular winner of top medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards!
Asked to sum up his winery’s house style in three words, Olivier chooses ‘precision, elegance and finesse,’ adding ‘At Château Sainte Marguerite we’re passionate about showing the world that Provence has much more to offer!’
Fantastique collection food matches White: chicken with morel sauce or kimchi with Asian abalone Rosé: scallops or lobster or tuna with wasabi and soya Red: steak or porcini risotto or Peking duck
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