Provence wine brand Mirabeau buys estate in Saint Tropez

Provence wine brand Mirabeau has bought a 20-hectare estate near La Garde-Freinet, in the commune of the Golfe de Saint-Tropez, for an undisclosed sum.

The estate, which will become Mirabeau’s “brand home,” boasts a 200-year-old traditional Bastide which will be used for client and partner entertainment, “lifestyle content generation”, and a classic Provençal farmhouse that will be used for holiday rentals.

The estate falls in the footprint of Notre-Dame des Anges, a part of Provence that gained certification as the AOC’s fifth official sub-region earlier this year. It is also surrounded by pines, oak trees and chestnut groves, forming the Plaine des Maures National Nature Reserve.

Mirabeau was founded in 2010 by British couple Stephen and Jeany Cronk, who left their home in south-west London to pursue their dream of making wine in the south of France. It now has five rosés in its portfolio (four still and one sparkling) including its Mirabeau Classic and Mirabeau Pure 2015 – both of which are a blend of Grenache and Syrah.

The Mirabeau range of rosé wines are now sold in over 45 countries, and in the UK they are available through Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Bibendum and Matthew Clark.

Stephen Cronk said the new domaine “provides us with a unique terroir and location in the foothills of the stunning Massif des Maures. There’s such a special feeling here, we’re completely secluded, surrounded by a nature reserve. We feel very lucky to have found this place.”

Cronk said the property, which also includes 15 hectares of vineyard, “is a perfect place for us to welcome clients and friends from around the world and to develop an interesting domaine wine to add to our portfolio.”

He added that the viticultural team have already begun to implement organic farming practices at the vineyard.

“We’ve started the process of converting the vineyard to organic, but I want to go beyond and explore regenerative agricultural practices to move towards real biodiversity. We’re stewards of this planet and I feel we need to move away from the desertification of post-war agriculture and start to return to natural carbon-absorbing soils.”