For an estate wine, everything starts in the vineyard, in a preserved environment. The Château’s vines are cultivated using sustainable methods, without weedkillers or pesticides, as part of a continuous improvement process to reduce the impact of its activities on the environment.

These ethical practices were rewarded in 2019 by obtaining the High Environmental Value (HVE) certification. This official recognition is in line with the sustainable farming practices implemented by three generations of winegrowers. HVE certification is a key way to develop sustainable production. It is part of a global approach to responsible farming, that minimizes the use of synthetic products, promotes alternative practices, and reduces the impact on the environment.

Château Minuty is one of the last estates in the Côtes de Provence where grapes are harvested entirely by hand to ensure their perfect integrity.

Jean-Etienne and François Matton, who are deeply attached to their land, are at the helm of the operation and have inherited their know-how and expertise from their family.

Château Minuty’s vineyard is remarkably well exposed on the hillsides of the villages of Gassin and Ramatuelle, overlooking the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. It benefits from a temperate maritime climate and puts the spotlight on southern grape varieties.

Château Minuty is surrounded by 65 hectares in a single block on schistose limestone soil, complemented by 120 hectares on clay-limestone soil in Vidauban and 15 hectares on the slopes of Val de Rian in Ramatuelle with magnificent views over the Bay of Pampelonne.

The vines benefit from deep soils, they are mostly planted with Grenache. Each grape variety is skilfully planted in the most appropriate part of the estate, for it to fully flourish. The vines around the Château are reserved for Grenache, which benefits from deep, pebble-free soil.

The southwest-facing plots bathed in sunlight are devoted to red wines (Syrah and Mourvèdre). The stonier limestone hills are very favorable to the expression of minerality and have therefore been planted with Rolle. The vineyard is directly under the influence of the sea with southeast exposure. The wines produced exude a delicate character marked by the sea air. The wind from the sea dries out the vines after dew or rain and limits the risk of disease.

The great rosés of Château Minuty are made from Grenache, “the king variety of rosés”, and Tibouren, emblematic of the Saint-Tropez peninsula, which has been preserved to guarantee the local typicity of the wines. White wines are made from Rolle, and grown for generations in the Var. Finally, the reds are made from Syrah and Mourvèdre, the Provençal grape variety that flourishes on the schist soils by the sea.