Exploring the Vineyards of the Alpilles in Provence

The Stunning Alpilles

The landscape of the Alpilles is not exactly the land of milk and honey but rather a harsh alpine climate that supports the growth of grapes and olives. Known as the Alpilles (small Alps), this 30km band of jagged limestone cliffs and scrub brush is a protected regional park infused with wild aromas of herbes de Provence. At its highest point, the ridgeline of the mountains is only 498m (1,634 ft), yet the gnarled limestone fingers reaching towards Provence’s blue heavens are simply arresting.

AOP Les Baux de Provence

Launched in 1995, Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) Les Baux de Provence was a bold step for a group of winemakers. They joined forces to carve out a unique identity in the ocean of, at that time, mediocre Provencal wine. These wineries had fallen under the umbrella of the AOP Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence since 1972, and the les Baux vintners felt that their production was blurred in the vast volume produced by that AOP. Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP) Les Baux was re-established in 1995 reverting to the original appellation formed in 1956. Today ten vineyards are members of the AOP and follow the same guidelines for making wine.

Additional read: The Lady Wine Makers of Les Baux de Provence

The Park and its unscathed terroir are why the vineyard owners felt that their wines would be better served under the AOP Les Baux de Provence banner. Some 20+ years into the experiment, there is no question that the wines are of a quality that demands you pay attention. Béatrice Joyce (she and her husband own Domaine Dalmeran) pointed out that each vineyard within the AOP is, in reality, a small universe of wine with its particular terroir and geographical aspect within the Alpilles. Unlike other wine-growing areas in France, such as Burgundy and Bordeaux, the vineyards in the Alpilles are insulated operations.

We invite you to take a wine road trip through the Alpilles and beyond for a little sipping and sampling to enjoy the magic elixirs crafted by these winemakers of the Vins des Baux de Provence.

Alpilles Vineyards on the South Side

Château d’Estoublon has had several owners and a  long history of organized wine-growing, beginning with the Seigneurie du Mont Paon, who managed a large swath of farmland under the command of the Counts of Les Baux. Read the full story of “le Grand Mas” (the large house) and reasons to visit here. One of the largest estates in the Alpilles, this 200-hectare property has 120 hectares of olive trees (five classic olive varietals) and 20 hectares dedicated to organic grapevines.

Château d’Estoublon
Route de Maussane
13990 Fontvieille

Mas de la Dame: Since 1995, this 740-acre property has been operated by Caroline Missoffe and her sister Anne Poniatowski. These two ladies are the 3rd generation of the Faye family to run this vineyard that is believed to be one of the first commercially established operations in the region. A charming boutique at Mas de la Dame offers products from their 57 hectares of vineyards and 28 hectares of olive groves.

Mas de la Dame
Chemin Départemental 5
13520 Les Baux de Provence

Mas Sainte Berthe: Documentation from 1539 references a chapel (dedicated to Ste Berthe) on Lord de Mollières’ property. Mas Sainte Berthe was an old pilgrimage site where believers would assemble twice a year to drink water from the natural spring in hopes of relief from their fevers. Now, it is a gathering place for wine drinkers who wish to sample wines crafted from the vines planted in the 1950s by the David family (their first vintage was 1976). Mas Sainte Berthe has 21 hectares of vines and 5 hectares of olive groves.

Mas Sainte Berthe
Chemin de Sainte Berthe
13520 Les Baux-de-Provence

Domaine de Lauzières: Thirty years after their father had left the estate to the Boyer sisters in his will, the vineyard required revitalization. Partners Gérard Pillon and Jean-Daniel Schlaepfer purchased this dishevelled plantation from the Boyer family and began the regeneration process. A full-scale modernization project at Domaine de Lauzières included replacing grapevines in sections, road grading, building renovations and other restoration projects. The 16th century Huguenots who took refuge in the Alpilles would certainly not recognize this state-of-the-art winery but might have approved of the organic and biodynamic wines produced from the 30 hectares of vines. There are also 25 hectares of olive groves on the property.

Domaine de Lauzières
Lieu-Dit le Destet
13890 Mouriès

L’Affectif is the wine passion project of Jean-André Charial, who has been involved in his family’s Relais & Château property Oustau de Baumanière since 1967. This amazing 5-star property was once an abandoned 16th-century farmhouse. M. Charial and his wife Geneviève have subsequently expanded their hospitality business well beyond the tiny village of Les Baux and created a luxury brand ‘Les Maisons de Baumanière.’ In his limited spare time, M. Charial might be found inspecting his grapevines in the Alpilles and producing roughly 8,000 bottles of l’Affectif, his biodynamic wine.

L’Affectif
Mas de Baumanière
13520 Les Baux-de-Provence

Mas de Gourgonnier, with 38 hectares of grapevines and 18 hectares of olive groves, has been run by the Cartier family for several generations. It is a sheltered estate in the core of the Alpilles that once served as the farm for the secluded l’Abbaye de Pierredon (now its neighbour) and provided the nutritional needs of the monks. In the 1950s, the first commercial vines were planted, and the cave was established. Luc and Frédéri joined their father Nicolas in the business, and more recently, Eve (Luc’s daughter) joined the team. Mas de Gourgonnier practices organic agricultural methodology and limits the wine product to 40 hl/ha to ensure top quality wine.

Mas de Gourgonnier
Le destet, D78,
13890 Mouriès

Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Pierredon has a long history that begins in Roman times with a settlement near a natural spring. Late in the 11th century, a church was built on a rise in the Alpilles near the earlier Roman settlement. The location has a long and, at times, violent history. The priory was deconsecrated in 1550. There have been many owners over the centuries, and luckily the buildings have been spared from demolition and even fire. Most recently, starting in 2001, the owners have restored structures, built a state-of-the-art winemaking facility and planted new vines and olive groves. These organic wines are available for purchase at many locations in France, including several boutiques in St Remy de Provence.

Alpilles Northern Vineyards

Domaine Château Dalmeran: This one of two vineyards owned by Neil and Béatrice Joyce – the sister property is in Châteauneuf du Pape. This couple is forging a strong link between all the pleasures surrounding wine – food, music, art and socializing. There is an annual cooking contest where young regional chefs are invited to marry their culinary passion with the wines of Château Dalmeran; they have one month to prepare for the event before the judging begins. This Domain produces both wine and olive oil from 11 hectares, and they invite you to spend an hour, an afternoon or a jazz-filled evening at Château Dalmeran.

Domaine Château Dalmeran
45 Avenue Notre-Dame-Du-Château
13103 Saint-Etienne-du-Grès

Domaine de Trevallon: Located almost halfway between St-Rémy-de-Provence and Sainte-Étienne-du-Grès, this vineyard has a reputation for producing award-winning wine. The Domaine de Trévallon vines cover 17 hectares on the northern slopes of the Alpilles. The majority of the vineyard (15 hectares) is dedicated to cabernet sauvignon and syrah grapes. Marsanne and roussane grow on the remaining two (2) hectares.

Domaine de Trévallon
Located outside of Sainte-Étienne-du-Grès
Visits to the vineyard are limited and must be booked a month in advance.

Domaine de Terres Blanches is a vineyard so bathed in the blinding summer sun that the soil almost appears white. Located on the north side of the Alpilles, this 35-hectare vineyard focuses exclusively on organic, biodynamic wines. Noël Michelin would be impressed by the neat rows of mature vines in the vineyard he acquired in 1968. It would have been back-breaking work for man and mule to remove the scrub brush (garrigue) and pines from the property he purchased. The winery building was built in 1973, and the estate has been following organic farming methodology from the outset. The property changed hands in 2012, and the new owners (from Alsace) continue the tradition of blending wines using the grapes from the region – grenache, syrah and mourvèdre.

Domaine de Terres Blanches
Route de Cavaillon RD99
13210 Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

Château Romanin is pressed up against the stone cliffs of the Alpilles. Today’s view of the glider aerodrome and north-facing vista would have been strategically chosen when the 13th-century castle was built. Now in ruins, this château was inhabited by the Templars operating as a Medieval site of “courtly love.” The 23 hectares of vines and 4 hectares of olive groves sprinkled with almond trees continue to benefit from the favourable weather and solar aspects that marked the passage of time between bi-annual solstices and lunar movements long ago.

Château Romanin
Route de Cavaillon
13210 Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

Domaine Hauvette faces the mistral winds head-on with its northerly aspect; this vineyard may be small at 14 hectares, but its wines are exceptional, just like their winemaker. Dominique Hauvette is described as stubborn, courageous and hardworking, and you would have to be to operate a vineyard as a single female. Her first harvest was in 1988, a time when she had only a couple hectares of vines. Now some 28 years later, her cellar is marked by a stone from the Pont du Gard – a symbol of Roman strength and engineering spirit that parallels this award-winning winemaker’s approach to organic farming.

Domaine Hauvette
Quartier Haute Galine
2946 Ancienne Voie Aurelia
13210 Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

Domaine Guilbert is located within a few minutes of downtown St Remy is a tiny 30-year old vineyard surrounded by olives and cypress trees. Guy and Nathalie Delacommune purchased Dominque Hauvette’s original 2 hectares in 2007, producing organic wine.

Domaine Guilbert
Outside of St Remy de Provence

Domaine de la Vallongue: This vineyard pays homage to the long Roman road from Rome to Spain – Vallongue represents a long valley. The owners of this 38-hectare property have practised organic farming since 1985. In what was once a place for sheep grazing and hunting stands a striking winery and boutique – a place to sample their wine and estate olive oil.

Domaine de la Vallongue
Route de Mouriés
13810 Eygalières

Image credits: All photos were received from and published with the permission of ROUGE GRANIT and AOP Les Baux de Provence