A Tour of Provence with Château Léoube

It was in the summer of 1997 when the Bamfords (from the Cotswolds in England) first set eyes on Château Léoube in Provence. If its scenic beauty is anything to go by, it must have been love at first sight. The image of rusty orange earth, blanketed by lush vegetation, meeting the expanse of blue ocean calms me, even from the page I’m looking at. I am reminded of the utopian Tracy Island from Thunderbirds, as I study the crowd of umbrella pines on the peninsula, seeing how they lean over the edge, peering curiously into the sea. I’m sure if that was the view before my eyes, my heart would have skipped a beat too. 

Love is a theme interwoven into the Léoube story. Out of love, the land was restored and organic practices were implemented and out of love, the ancient terroir has been protected and authenticity has triumphed. Léoube wines are made from love and for love, with which they are intended to be shared. 

Some bottles from the Léoube collection

So, it comes as no surprise that Léoube has become known for its ‘Love’ rosé. Love by Léoube is their quintessential dry Provence rosé, made iconic by the dreamy white script on the bottle designed by Jacqueline Morabito. Clean and crisp, with playful red berries, this easy-drinking wine has captured young, romantic wine lovers who aspire to frolic in the fields of lavender next to the Med. 

If Love by Léoube is Léoube’s heart, then Rosé de Léoube is its soul. This wine is Château Léoube’s signature rosé and represents the very essence of the terroir. Everything seems to have made it into this wine: the schist soils; the wild herbs; the honey; and the sea. The result is an elegant rosé with lots to give, but with everything working together in perfect harmony. 

Of course, Léoube doesn’t only produce still rosé wines; there are also sparkling, canned, white and red wines in the collection. The new Sparkling Love by Léoube is made in an ancestral method unique to Provence and captures the wild berries and red fruits of Provence within lively, vibrant bubbles. Where the rosé wines show the elegance and finesse of the Léoube terroir, the reds demonstrate the power and complexity of it. Forts de Léoube, from the ‘Secret’ range, is made in equal parts from Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault and Cabernet Sauvignon and aged for 24 months in French oak casks. It is a wine of brooding intensity and concentration. 

Château Léoube

For a complete Provençal experience, Château Léoube also produces olive oil and honey. The only other things they could bottle are the Mediterranean sunshine and the sounds of the cicadas – then we would truly be transported to a blanket in the shade of the umbrella pines with the scent of lavender in the air.