In 1955, when the Cru Classé des Côtes-de-Provence classification was established, Château Sainte Marguerite was among the very first estates recognized — a distinction that has been maintained without interruption across seven decades. Today, only 18 estates hold this title. Sainte Marguerite is one of them, and the Fantastique is the cuvée that most specifically and most completely expresses why.

Château Sainte Marguerite owns approximately 170 hectares of vineyards facing the sea in La Londe-les-Maures, Provence — land that has been farmed since ancient times, though the estate in its modern form was founded in 1929 by concert pianist André Chevillon. The Fayard family purchased it in 1977 and has since built the estate into one of Provence's most internationally celebrated rosé producers. Since 2022, Pernod Ricard has been investing in the property, and the 2024 vintage carries the added significance of the estate's return to full vineyard control — allowing the reinstatement of the "Château" designation across the entire production. The 2024 vintage itself reflects favorable growing conditions: a cool spring followed by a warm, dry season with fresh nights, leading to a balanced expression of fruit and minerality. The wines were harvested at night to preserve acidity and freshness.

The Fantastique was created in 2017 to sit above the estate's entry-level Symphonie — a gastronomic rosé designed for the table rather than simply the aperitif occasion. Raimonds Tomsons, the 2023 World's Best Sommelier, specifically endorses Fantastique as a sommelier's delight, and Peter Dean of The Buyer, tasting the 2024 at its London launch, found a wine that "opens out in the glass with white peaches, nashi pear, lychee and grapefruit skin — there's a lovely register on the palate where the wine has real presence — vibrant acidity, pronounced minerality, structure and complexity — then sea air freshness, with a salty, chalky finish like a pleasant lick of Aspirin." The 2024 vintage showcases minerality alongside layers of white peach, pear, and subtle lychee notes, with notably refined texture reinforcing its reputation as a gastronomic rosé suitable for both meat and fish pairings.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Château Sainte Marguerite has been certified organic since 2003 and vegan since 2015 — one of Provence's earliest and most committed organic estates, certified through FR BIO 01 Ecocert. Every wine is produced using exclusively plant-based inputs, making the entire range suitable for vegans without compromise to quality.

Fantastique is produced from Grenache, Cinsault, and Rolle grown on La Londe's siliceous clay soils structured with pebbles and broken quartz — a filtering, well-oriented hillside terroir in the Mediterranean coastal climate of La Londe-les-Maures, hot and dry, moderated by the proximity of the sea. The Côtes-de-Provence La Londe complementary geographical appellation — obtained by the estate and guaranteeing a distinct terroir due to the presence of four different soil types in the commune — is one of the most specific and the most quality-certifying designations available to any Provence rosé producer.

Production follows cold skin maceration before pressing, temperature-controlled vinification, selection of the best vats, and aging in vats on fine lees before fining, filtration, and bottling. In 2024, the wines were harvested at night to preserve acidity and freshness — a practice that maintains the natural aromatics and acid structure that distinguish Fantastique from simpler Provence rosé production.

Critics Reviews

Wine-Searcher aggregate — 91/100 (2024 vintage)

Bronze Medal — International Wine Challenge 2024:
"Round and juicy orange with blossoms and strawberries."

Raimonds Tomsons, 2023 World's Best Sommelier:
Specifically recommends Fantastique as a sommelier's delight.

Peter Dean, The Buyer (2024 vintage, London launch):
"Pale Provence pink; the wine seems at first to have less concentration than Symphonie, it feels more discreet, but then it opens out in the glass with white peaches, nashi pear, lychee and grapefruit skin; there's a lovely register on the palate where the wine has real presence — vibrant acidity, pronounced minerality, structure and complexity — there's an attractive bitterness too, then sea air freshness, with a salty, chalky finish like a pleasant lick of Aspirin. No wonder Tomsons adores this — it's a sommelier's delight. Best pairing: Halibut with cauliflower purée, citrus beurre blanc and finger lime."

The Drinks Business (2024 vintage):
"The Fantastique Rosé 2024, certified organic and vegan, showcased minerality alongside layers of white peach, pear, and subtle lychee notes. Its texture was notably refined, reinforcing its reputation as a gastronomic rosé suitable for both meat and fish pairings."

Château Sainte Marguerite official 2024 tasting notes:
"Eye: A pearly pink with luminous golden highlights. Nose: A balance between rich aromas of white peach and pear, and more exotic nuances of lychee, passion fruit and grapefruit zest. Mouth: Aromatic freshness with citrus and floral notes (rose, hint of jasmine). A long finish that lingers on the palate."

Wine Enthusiast (2023 vintage — house style context):
"Warm and inviting, this super-pale rosé has aromas of fresh green apples and peach cobbler. These fruits carry through to the palate with the addition of melon, grapefruit and ocean notes, driven by a complex minerality and salinity. Great balance with high acidity."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Pearly pink with luminous golden highlights — the cold skin maceration and night harvest's most delicate and most specifically refined contribution to a color of genuine Provence elegance. Discreet on first pour, then opens out in the glass with increasing aromatic expressiveness — the most specifically rewarding and the most genuinely sommelier-pleasing quality of this wine. White peach and pear lead with warm, round stone-fruit richness. Lychee adds the most exotic and the most specifically memorable secondary aromatic note — the one that immediately distinguishes Fantastique from simpler Côtes de Provence expressions. Passion fruit and grapefruit zest add tropical and citrus brightness. Rose and a hint of jasmine provide delicate floral lift. Ocean notes thread through from the sea-facing La Londe terroir.

Palate
Real presence despite the pale color — vibrant acidity, pronounced minerality, structure and complexity arriving with genuine authority after the wine's initially discreet appearance. The siliceous clay, pebble, and broken quartz soils of La Londe are most directly communicated through the wine's pronounced mineral quality. Aromatic freshness with citrus and floral notes carries through from nose to palate. An attractive bitterness adds complexity — the quality that Tomsons finds most specifically impressive and that elevates this beyond simple refreshment into genuinely gastronomic territory. Sea air freshness adds the most specifically coastal Provence quality on the mid-palate.

Finish
Salty, chalky, and long — the most specifically memorable and the most precisely La Londe-terroir-communicating finishing quality, described by The Buyer as "like a pleasant lick of Aspirin" in the most affirmative possible sense. The long finish lingers on the palate with grapefruit zest and mineral persistence. Served at 9-10°C for maximum aromatic expressiveness.

Quick Overview

Category	Details
Appellation	Côtes de Provence La Londe — Provence, France
Style	Cru Classé Rosé — Certified Organic & Vegan
Vintage	2024
Château	Château Sainte Marguerite — La Londe-les-Maures
Family	Fayard family (since 1977)
Owner	Pernod Ricard (since 2022)
Cru Classé	Since 1955 — one of only 18 estates in Provence
Cuvée Created	2017
Blend	Grenache · Cinsault · Rolle
Soils	Siliceous clay, pebbles and broken quartz — La Londe
Production	Cold skin maceration · temperature-controlled vinification · aged on fine lees
Harvest	Night harvest — to preserve acidity and freshness
2024 Vintage	Cool spring + warm dry season + fresh nights = balanced fruit and minerality
Organic	Certified since 2003 (FR BIO 01 Ecocert)
Vegan	Yes — 100% plant-based inputs
Critics	Wine-Searcher 91 Points · Bronze IWC 2024
Sommelier Endorsement	Raimonds Tomsons — 2023 World's Best Sommelier
2024 Landmark	Return to full vineyard control · "Château" designation reinstated
Estate Size	~170 hectares facing the sea
Serve	9-10°C
Style / Identity	Gastronomic Cru Classé Provence rosé — mineral, saline, exotic fruit, precise
Aromas & Flavors	White peach, pear, lychee, passion fruit, grapefruit zest, rose, jasmine, sea air, salty mineral
Drinking Window	Now through 2026
Bottle Size	750ml

Food Pairings

Halibut with cauliflower purée, citrus beurre blanc and finger lime — Peter Dean's specific "best pairing of the day"
Grilled lobster — the château's own first recommendation
Langoustines and noble shellfish
Sea urchins
Crab
Carpaccio of gambas
Turbot with citrus

French - Provence