Château Cavalier

In Vidauban, Provence, Château Cavalier has cultivated a distinctive identity
that has become its signature: estate wines produced exclusively from its own vineyards.

Owned by the Castel family since 2000, the 132-hectare vineyard of Château Cavalier, in a single block, benefits from the exceptional terroir of the Notre-Dame-des-Anges geographical designation and embodies a precise and ambitious model of Provence rosé.

The terroir, combining red clay and sandy soils with sandstone subsoil, benefits from a protective microclimate thanks to the Massif des Maures. This configuration promotes freshness and aromatic complexity, essential to crafting the estate’s great rosés as well as its great white. In the vineyard, traditional grape varieties—Grenache, Cinsault and Rolle—stand alongside more confidential ones such as Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sémillon and Clairette, offering a broad palette of expressions. These varieties make it possible to produce rosés for pleasure, gastronomic rosés, and even a Grand Blanc that reveals the richness of the terroir.

Committed to sustainable viticulture, the estate has been Terra Vitis certified since 2012 and Haute Valeur Environnementale certified since 2019, and has practised vitipastoralism for the past four years, with a local shepherd bringing 800 sheep into the vineyard rows each year. Night harvesting and a modern winery help preserve the integrity of the fruit, while vinification in stainless steel tanks and ageing on fine lees—partly in oak barrels and demi-muids for the top cuvées—refine the wines’ style, built on freshness and precision.
 

The flagship cuvée, Marafiance Côtes de Provence, embodies this vision. During SommelierS International tastings, the 2024 vintage impressed leading professionals. Raimonds Tomsons, ASI Best Sommelier of Europe 2017 and ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2023, highlights its freshness, salivating acidity and strong aromatic concentration. Julia Scavo, Best Sommelier of Romania 2018, emphasises a precise wine driven by purity of fruit, while Salvatore Castano, Best Sommelier of Italy and ASI Best Sommelier of Europe 2021, points to its outstanding drinkability. For Xavier Thuizat, MOF Sommellerie and Best Sommelier of France 2022: “This is a wine with a true signature of authentic Provençal terroir, with complexity and depth”.

All the more resonant on the international stage as the cuvée was crowned Best Rosé in the World at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2025, following a major blind tasting of more than 105 rosés from around the world, scoring 97 points. A major distinction that opens new prospects for the estate, particularly on the American market and in restaurants.

From May 13 to 22, during the Festival de Cannes 2026, Château Cavalier will also be the exclusive rosé supplier for the Terrasse Albane, located on the rooftop of the Marriott, as well as at the Time House, a temporary space hosted by Time France magazine. A showcase set to highlight estate-grown and terroir-driven wines on the global stage.

Sandy Bénard-Ravoisier
Photos: Castel – Château Cavalier

www.chateau-cavalier.com