Château La Mascaronne, an organic estate spanning 100 hectares (ha) with 60ha of vineyard, has been bought by Cos d’Estournel owner Reybier for an undisclosed fee.
There have been several high-profile deals in Provence in the past year, and La Mascaronne lies in the medieval village of Luc-en-Provence, a commune in the Var area of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.
Reybier said he acquired the estate after being ‘won over by the quality of the wines and the potential of La Mascaronne terroir, which benefits today from the remarkable effort of restoration carried out in the vineyard by Tom Bove for 20 years’.
Bove had managed the estate since 1999, as well as neighbouring property Château Miraval before that was sold in 2012 to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.
At La Mascaronne, Bove oversaw the renovation of the 18th century manor house and its antique drystone terraces, replanted vineyards and converted to organic farming – gaining certification in 2016.
The estate produces around 10,000 cases of wine per year. Winemaker Nathalie Longefay, also at Mirabeau, makes six wines, including:
- a white made with old vine Ugni Blanc and Rolle;
- a red made with Syrah and Mourvèdre;
- and a rosé made from Cinsault and Grenache.
There is also a small-production range named ‘Guy Da Nine’, fermented in Bordeaux barrels.
Reybier added that he was ‘seduced by this extraordinary site, which embodies the soul and charm of Provence’. He said he ‘will continue to highlight this terroir in a quest for excellence common to all of my wine estates’.
In addition to La Mascaronne and Bordeaux second growth Cos d’Estournel, Reybier owns an eponymous Champagne House and Hétszölö in Hungary’s Tokaj region, as well as boutique hotel group La Reserve, which has properties in Paris, Provence, Geneve and Zurich.
The acquisition follows several other high-profile winery deals in Provence, which have included:
- LVMH buying control of Whispering Angel producer Château d’Esclans in December 2019;
- The Wertheimer family, owners of French fashion label Chanel and also Châteaux Rauzan-Ségla and Canon in Bordeaux, purchasing Domaine de L’Ile on the island of Porquerolles in October 2019;
- Provence’s Château Bas being sold to a holding company co-owned by Catherine Castéja, member of a major Bordeaux wine family, in May 2020.
