Château Sainte Marguerite makes Provence rosé that will make you very happy
Rosé has long since stopped being that sweet stuff you were ashamed to order. In fact: rosé has been serious business for years, with Provence rosé a firm crowd favorite. I thought I knew most of the top estates from Provence, but I had never heard of Château Sainte Marguerite. You probably haven’t either, so it’s time to change that. Cru Classé, organic, vegan, a gorgeous bottle and, above all: so delicious!
The most beautiful places in the Côtes de Provence
The story of Château Sainte Marguerite began in 1977, when Brigitte and Jean-Pierre Fayard bought a historic 7-hectare vineyard in La Londe-les-Maures. No background in wine, but heaps of ambition. By now, the estate covers more than 450 hectares spread across the most beautiful terroirs (simply put: the best places for growing wine) of the Côtes de Provence.
Fresh, mineral and refined
The location of the vineyards between land and sea, close to the Îles d’Or, creates that magical Provençal microclimate: fresh, mineral and refined. Exactly what you want in a rosé. And uniquely, Château Sainte Marguerite rosé comes entirely from its own vineyard. That’s rarer in this region than a Frenchman who doesn’t eat baguette.
A family business with taste (and guts)
Fast forward to today: the second generation of Fayards runs the show. Olivier and Enzo in the winery, Sigolène in management and Lionel designing the labels and bottles. And with their floral pattern, they’re just as impressive as what’s inside.
Rosé avant la hype
What the Fayards did cleverly was recognize back in the 1970s that rosé was the future, long before influencers posed with their glasses of salmon-colored Provence rosé. While the world still thought rosé belonged only in plastic cups, they were making wine that combined finesse, balance and serious gastronomic power.
The stars of today: Symphonie and Fantastique
The two icons of Château Sainte Marguerite are Symphonie Rosé and Fantastique Rosé. Both Cru Classé des Côtes-de-Provence, both made with an incredible amount of care, and both bottles that will impress, whether you’re slurping down an oyster or simply opening a bag of chips to go with them (we’re not judging).
We recently tasted both wines and are very enthusiastic.
Symphonie Rosé 2024
A cuvée that has shown since 1999 why Provence rosé is world-famous. The Beverage Testing Institute even named this vintage ‘Best Rosé 2024’. Made from Grenache (47%), Cinsault (47%) and a little Rolle; the quintessential Provence blend that always delivers. Beautiful salmon-pink color, aromas of flowers, white peach and grapefruit zest, and a fresh, fruity palate with an elegant citrus finish. Delicious with seafood, grilled fish, salmon burgers or fried calamari with lemon.
Fantastique Rosé 2024
Symphonie is the crowd favorite, while Fantastique is the haute couture of Château Sainte Marguerite. Widely praised by Raimonds Tomsons, the best sommelier in the world. He is incredibly impressed by the balance between the wine’s finesse and aromatic richness and its gastronomic character (in other words: you can enjoy a fantastic meal with it). Pearl pink with a golden glow—pure show-off in your glass—and if you put your nose in it, you’ll smell white peach, pear, lychee, passion fruit and a hint of rose petals. Yes, we’re not making this up. The flavor is intensely fresh and the finish lingers longer than Frenna’s summer hit “ZaaZaa”. Tip: pair it with an Asian dish, perhaps with chili and ginger.
Rosé without pesticides
And something else that’s great: since 2003, Château Sainte Marguerite has been organically certified and completely free of fungicides, insecticides and herbicides. Many cuvées are also vegan and registered with The Vegan Society. In short: you’re not only drinking a top wine, but one without all those pesticides either.
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