In the fourteenth century Château Léoube (pronounced Lay-Oob) was built. The grand estate sits in the heart of the Cote d’Azur and the Côtes de Provence appellation on 560 hectares of land that sweeps down to the coastline. The estate has had many owners through the centuries but the current owners, Lord and Lady Bamford, purchased the estate in 1997. Passionate about organics and already owners of a sustainable organic farm in the UK, their first task was to commit to sustainable agro-environmental practices with the estate eventually becoming organically certified in 2011.

No machinery is used on the vines, harvesting happens by hand and sheep graze freely on the land to control grass growth and provide natural fertiliser. Biodynamic practices are in use at the winery including planting or harvesting according to the lunar cycle.

Now, I’m not one to gossip but apparently the estate is no stranger to celebrities and even royalty on occasion, which considering its owners are British billionaires and the estate sits one hour from Saint Tropez, doesn’t stretch the imagination too far… but I digress. This is all about the wine and, oh what a rosé. Made from the oldest cabernet vines on the estate this beautiful rosé is pale in the glass with a clean and lifted fruit profile on the nose alongside hints of garrigue and thyme. The palate is silky with red fruits flavours lifting through on what is an otherwise savoury palate. Textural and elegant with a lovely, long and satisfying finish. Provençal perfection. (A)