Château Saint-Esprit

The Château Saint-Esprit is located in Draguignan, in the Var department, on one of the oldest wine-growing terroirs in the Côtes de Provence. Owned by the Crocé-Spinelli family for several generations, the estate is now run by Philippe and Anne-Marie Crocé-Spinelli, with an artisanal philosophy and a deep commitment to organic viticulture. Since the early 2000s, their work has been part of a responsible farming approach, highlighting the natural richness of the place and the Mediterranean character of their cuvées.

The château takes its name from an ancient medieval chapel dedicated to the Holy Spirit, located inside the estate, which bears witness to the long history of this place inhabited and cultivated for centuries. Here, the family perpetuates a savoir-faire rooted in winegrowing Provence, with constant attention paid to the environment and the purity of the wines.

The Château Saint-Esprit vineyard covers just over 40 hectares in a single block. It is planted on the clay-limestone hills of Draguignan, at an average altitude of 300 meters, in a landscape typical of the Var hinterland: garrigue, Aleppo pines, olive trees, dry stone walls. The whole area is bathed in powerful light, under a Mediterranean climate marked by sunshine, the mistral and low rainfall.

The soils, composed of red clay, limestone gravel and sometimes deeper marl, ensure good drainage and excellent water retention. This enables the vines to get through the hot summers without undue stress, and produce concentrated yet balanced grapes. This terroir offers a natural minerality to whites and rosés, and a beautiful structure to reds.

The vineyard is entirely run according to organic farming principles. No synthetic molecules are used, treatments are based on sulfur, copper and plant extracts, and the soil is worked on the surface to respect microbial life. Harvesting is carried out by hand over a large part of the vineyard, enabling a rigorous selection of grapes and precise sorting by plot. In the cellar, Château Saint-Esprit favors low-intervention vinification, based on listening to the vintage and respecting the fruit. Fermentations start naturally, sometimes after light settling, and temperatures are carefully controlled to preserve aromatic expression. Rosés are obtained by direct pressing, without prolonged maceration, to obtain pale, elegant and fresh wines.

Whites are vinified at low temperature, then aged on fine lees for a few months to gain texture and complexity. The reds, depending on their profile, can be aged in stainless steel tanks, demi-muids or foudre, always with a view to achieving a balance between structure, fruit and freshness.

The range of wines at Château Saint-Emilion is designed to meet the needs of all our customers.

The Château Saint-Esprit range is based on three colors: rosé, white and red, each declined in several cuvées according to parcels, grape varieties and the winemaker's intentions.

The cuvée Céleste rosé, produced in majority, is a blend of grenache, cinsault, syrah and mourvèdre. It has a fine nose of white flowers, grapefruit, vine peach and fresh herbs. The palate is taut, salivating, with a slightly saline finish. This is a gastronomic rosé, far removed from commercial wines, to be enjoyed as an aperitif or with Mediterranean dishes such as grilled sea bream, octopus salad or pissaladière.

The cuvée Céleste blanc, produced in smaller quantities, is made mainly from rolle (vermentino), sometimes combined with ugni blanc or clairette depending on the vintage. It has aromas of stone fruit, lime blossom and fennel, with a lively, taut palate marked by a pleasant natural freshness. It goes perfectly with raw fish, fresh cheeses or roasted summer vegetables.

The red, often based on Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre, is vinified in a supple, straightforward style. The nose evokes garrigue, blackcurrant, blackberry and black pepper. On the palate, the balance between silky tannins, crisp fruit and mineral tension is remarkable. This is a wine that gains in complexity after two or three years in bottle, and can accompany more generous Provencal cuisine: lamb with herbs, daube, stuffed eggplant.

Some plot-based cuvées, such as La Source or Le Clos, may be offered in limited quantities during the best vintages. They are matured in greater depth, often in barrels, and reveal the terroir's capacity to produce wines for laying down.