Château Léoube

We absolutely love the organic rosé by Château Léoube – it’s just the perfect summer drink whether it’s enjoyed as an aperitif or over a long lazy alfresco lunch. Grown on the coastal fringe of the protected site of Cape Bénat in the south of France, Léoube’s organic vineyard enjoys the perfect combination of warm sunny days and cool breezy evenings due to its idyllic location.

Provence claims to have some of the oldest vineyards in France with some dating back to 2nd century BC when the Romans began wine growing in the area. Château Léoube was founded by the owners of Daylesford Organic in 1997 – noted as one of the UK’s most sustainable farms – who were utterly seduced by this Chateau in Provence and set out to make wines with true French character whilst remaining respectful to nature.

Set in 560 hectares the Château Léoube estate includes 65 hectares of vineyards and 20 hectares of olive groves, all devoted to growing the grapes and olives that make Léoube’s award winning wines and olive oils.

Following a simply philosophy, Château Léoube believe in strengthening the land’s biodiversity by using traditional growing methods. All grapes and olives are harvested by hand whilst being mindful of the seasonal and lunar cycles, which all add to the delicate complexity of the wine that is produced.

The traditional method used to make Léoube rose begins when they are harvested and sorted manually before being transported to the storehouse. Under the experienced supervision of Romain Ott who handles productions for Léoube, he ensures the winery is organised so that grapes do not undergo any trituration or alteration before being pressed.

The rosé is then worked on in delicate and carefully dosed extractions, alcoholic fermentation is methodically executed with precision and temperatures are constantly controlled. Once fermentation has been completed, the clarification cycle with regular racking starts, to produce wines ready to be bottled starting in spring following the harvest.

Born into a family of winegrowers for the last four generations, Romain Ott is an agronomic engineer and specialises in oenology – the science and study of winemaking. Romain’s passion and dedication to his family’s philosophy is the driving force behind the production of wine and olive oils at Château Léoube and has been since 2000.

To find out more about Château Léoube’s products visit the website here.

Image Credits: Header, 1, 2, 3 & 5 Château Léoube – 4 Paul Craig