Château Saint Esprit, the Roots of Provence Art of Living -

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Discover the charms of Château Saint Esprit, an authentic and welcoming estate, where the quality of the nectars equals the warmth of sharing for an enchanting holiday in a magical setting in Provence.

Château Saint Esprit: jewel of wine tourism, this superb wine estate in the heart of Provence in the Var invites you to discover the superb range of colours and tones of an exceptional site. The decor as much as the wines is reflecting the spirit of a family of winegrowers perpetuating over the generations the history of a renowned vineyard which welcomes, from one season to another, lovers of the art of living and calm in the heart of a historic 17th century farmhouse.

Mathilde, Richard & Hélène Crocé Spinelli ©YesICannes.com

Art of living and epicureanism in the vineyards

By constantly innovating and imagining new holiday experiences, the wine-producing Provence is today a major tourist destination that attracts visitors and tourists from all over the world into its vineyards. These tourist trips allow wine lovers to learn the secrets of winemaking while immersing themselves in the history of estates founded and managed by passionate people. Wine tourism also goes hand in hand with the pleasures of gastronomy. The vineyards work with renowned chefs to offer unique food and wine pairings that epicureans will remember for a lifetime.

Hélène & Richard Crocé Spinelli ©YesICannes.com

The roots of wine: sharing and conviviality

For four generations, the Crocé Spinelli family has been growing its grape varieties in the sunny Provence as well as a heritage of innate and refined winemaking hospitality, all in simplicity and conviviality. Today, Richard and Hélène Crocé-Spinelli and their two children, Mathilde and Florent, continue this tradition of excellence and passion for the terroir of Château Saint Esprit by combining biodynamic viticulture, family know-how in wine maturation, grape variety blending, and generosity in sharing these values of love of the land with lovers of tourism in the vineyards.

Hélène Crocé Spinelli in the wine-testing cellar ©YesICannes.com

Vineyards and old stones

At the top of a hill of ochre earth, a Mas of character, with old golden stones and lavender shutters, competes in majesty with a formidable three-hundred-year-old oak. In a swimming pool framed by fig and walnut trees, the green of the first 15 hectares of vines, some of which have been planted for sixty seasons, is mirrored. The five guest rooms of the Mas, named after the musical names of the grape varieties – Tibouren, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Cinsault, Rolle – have been renovated in a subtle alliance of tradition and modernity, giving a prominent place to culture and Art thanks to the collections, libraries and period furniture of the founding grandfather – who was president of the SACEM. The guest rooms were recently selected as belonging to the 150 most beautiful in France by Figaro Magazine.

Guest room ©YesICannes.com

Pleasures for the pupils and taste buds

The Mas can also be entirely privatized for holidays with family or friends. The accommodation offer is completed by a charming stone gîte with a private terrace shaded by two mulberry trees, opening onto the vineyards.

A votre santé! ©YesICannes.com

Romantic getaway

At the Château Saint Esprit experience a romantic getaway, thematic stays about Provence, carried by (the) Mistral or a fairy-tale wedding… The rooms of the Mas, the park and the swimming pool welcome you for all your holiday desires, for a celebration, private or professional events.

L’Art de Vivre in Provence ©YesICannes.com

Provençal specialities sublimated by the domain’s vintages

Hélène, a university graduate and a Cordon Bleu, will delight you with her Provençal specialties sublimated by the estate’s vintages. You can practice your art of cooking by yourself in the vast kitchens or call on an outside chef, such as the Assistant Culinaire from nearby Draguignan.

Food and wine pairings ©YesICannes.com

Provence, an exceptional cultural heritage

Thanks to its location between the Mediterranean Sea and the hills of the Haut Var, where the Roman roads Via Julia and Aurelia crossed, on the Road of the Ways of Compostela, the Château Saint-Esprit offers you many possibilities for excursions and for discovering the rich landscapes and heritage of Provence. La Vigne à Vélo, a tourist cycle route that passes in front of the estate will take you to discover towns and villages with a rich cultural and historical heritage, wine estates and cellars, tourist and leisure sites in Dracénie. Any stay at Château Saint Esprit will give you the privilege of tasting the different vintages grown and produced on the estate, with commentary by Richard or Mathilde.

Art in the vines ©YesICannes.com

A cellar in the shape of a chapel

At the heart of the Côtes de Provence PDO, the Crocé-Spinelli family perpetuates the family tradition which has seen a line of winegrowers with complementary skills blossom with respect for the terroir. Currently in its fourth year of organic conversion – no pesticides or herbicides – the estate is equipped with the latest winemaking technologies, to be discovered in the new cellar with windows inspired by an old chapel.

Wine cellar ©YesICannes.com

Cuvée Var West

A legend has it that, in the 1950s, a brigand from the Var region of France used to rob skips full of grapes to make a succulent nectar. Over the course these repeated thefts, the winegrowers gave the Var the reputation of Var West. No one knew how this wine was made until the son of the Croce-Spinelli family solved the mystery. A garage wine made by methodically following the secrets of this yesteryear bandit.

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Great wines of emotions

Each colour – White, Rosé, Red – is available in three cuvées: Essentiel (cuvée plaisir, wines of freshness and minerality or fruit), Signature (finesse, heritage and identity of the estate) and Quintessence (elegance and complexity of wines aged in barrels, with a gastronomic aim, with very fine supple tannins). Nectars that are likely to provoke delicious emotions in a crescendo of increasingly elaborate notes. The new red cuvée, Origin, made from the Cinsault grape variety, reveals a fruity and floral tone on the nose. From the start on the palate, its flavour is rather supple, very well-balanced with a taste of dried fruit. This refreshing and very gourmand wine is ideal to accompany grilled meat or fish.

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Art and Wine

The vineyard of Château Saint Esprit is populated with artistic works by Yvon Le Bellec. Before his death, the artist left two monumental sculptures, one of which dominates the scene at the entrance of the estate. Open to art lovers, the Château Saint Esprit regularly hosts exhibitions of sculptures, paintings, ceramics… throughout the different areas of the vineyard, in the gardens, on the stone walls, under the vine of the terrace of the cellar or musical and theatrical evenings in the Mas.

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Gastronomic events

Numerous gastronomic events mark the seasons with visits of the cellars and vineyards, introductory courses in oenology, discovery of the vintages in the stone turret of the tasting cellar, meals with food and wine pairings in the magnificent park of the Château, platters of local produce from vegetable gardens or neighbouring farms, theme-stay vacations to discover Provence…

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Enchanted stay in a place of traditions

Proud of its terroir and its vineyards, the Crocé Spinelli family will have at heart to satisfy all your desires and to realize your dreams of an enchanted stay in a place of traditions and art of living in Provence, the cradle of the French vineyards. Heritage and ancestral traditions of the South around wine, regional gastronomy and table arts, warm welcome and generosity of the proverbial winemaker hospitality promise you an unforgettable experience at Château Saint Esprit, your next family home. Following the Covid-19 crisis, stricter health regulations are being implemented to guarantee safety so that you can enjoy this haven of peace and its events in complete serenity.