Image rights: George Lucas’s latest acquisition Chateau Margui vineyards by Var Matin
After months of rumours surrounding the lush region of Coteaux Varois en Provence, it’s finally been confirmed that George Lucas has added Château Margüi, a French vineyard to his list of growing Skywalker Vineyards. First reported in French newspaper Var Matin, Lucas added the property north adjacent to Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s Château Miraval to his portfolio of vineyards with the April 28th purchase of the historic chateau located in Provence, France for $14 million.
Château Margüi boasts 287 acres of prime verdant grounds, 42 acres devoted vineyards with 7 acres to olive trees. The Château is an agricultural tour de force since Roman times in the south-west corner of the Bessillon ranges. With rolling hills, dry-stone walls, natural springs and of course, the vines.
Image rights: http://www.luckymiam.com/en/chateau-margui/
Since the early 2000s, 15 hectares of vines (Syrah, Cabernet, Vermentino, Cinsault, Grenache, Sangiovese) were replanted by Marie-Christine Baylet-Guillanton and Philippe Guillanton (serving presently as winery manager) on clay and limestone soil that had been dormant for 30 years. With the recent acquisition of the vineyards by George Lucas, the heritage Provence property joins other Skywalker Vineyards in Marin, California and Lucas’s other European vineyard, Il Convento in Umbria, Italy.
Since the resurrection of the fertile wino-nursing greens, for over 40 years, the land of Margüi has not known any chemical fertilizers, as a result, Margüi’s entire surface is classified AB Organic by Ecocert. The construction of relatively recent wine-making facilities started in early 2003, where architects and builders pursued concepts and ideas in accordance with the vineyard’s coming to age: modern wine-making tools under heritage Roman stone work.
Image rights: View of Château Margüi vineyard http://www.luckymiam.com/en/chateau-margui/
George Lucas’s latest vineyard Château Margüi is considered to be an architectural jewel of Provence and as such, the elegant 18th century chateau was lovingly restored with traditional materials, organic hemp, and natural pigments for all buildings including the chateau, chapel and other outbuildings on the farm. As a result Lucas’s latest vineyard pays homage to its unique history as a 15th century castle with Romanesque structures.
According to a statement by Winery Manager Guillanton to Provence Wine Zine, “fans of Château Margüi need not worry that the wines will change as the crew is remaining the same.”
A variety of wino flows from the estate, a duo of roses serve lovers of pink wines with the Perle de Margüi rose and the Toscane de Margüi; white wines titillate the senses via the refreshing Les Pierres Sauvages and L’Or des Pierres while a sole, Titien de Margüi offers the palette a delectable red. Château Margüi reached full production of around 65 000 bottles with the 2008 harvest. While starting to produced Olive oil with the first press in 2009.