Eight winemakers, one promise: the founding on the peninsula
Les Maîtres Vignerons de Saint-Tropez were formed in 1964, when eight winemakers from the Saint-Tropez peninsula made a decision that was unusual for the time: they joined forces without giving up their individual estates. Their goal was a joint bottling and marketing structure that would carry the heritage of each individual domaine to the outside world, rather than dissolving it into an anonymous collective. This founding idea became a model that still characterizes the cooperative today: "Strong together, without giving up independence" – this is how the cooperative summarizes its own philosophy. Decades of gradual growth followed: in 2007, storage and logistics capacities were expanded, in 2016 the showroom in Gassin was completely renovated, and in 2018 a modern bottling plant was installed. In 2024, the Domaine des Féraud was added – a 50-hectare estate founded in 1927 in Vidauban on the sand, sandstone, and quartz soils of the Maures plain, about 30 kilometers from Saint-Tropez.
Terroir first: vineyard, cellar and the path to organic farming
Today, the cooperative unites ten estates and châteaux as well as three large wine cellars, which together manage over 900 hectares of vineyards. The sites extend across four terroirs: the Saint-Tropez peninsula itself, the so-called Golden Triangle between Cuers, Puget-Ville, and Pierrefeu, Le Cannet-des-Maures, and the southern Luberon. Each member domaine retains its own vinification facility – oenologists from the cooperative accompany the work in the vineyard and in the cellar without blurring the signature of the respective estate. In the cellar, the focus is on freshness and aroma preservation: harvesting at night or in the early morning hours, direct pressing, temperature-controlled fermentation. This keeps the fruit aromas clear and the acidity lively.
The cooperative supports its member estates in the transition to organic farming and in certification according to Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE). Many domaines already operate according to organic standards; the transition is understood as a long-term project, not as a short-term repositioning.
Rosé as a core competence: style, grape varieties and the range
The heart of the range is the rosé wines of the Côtes de Provence. The soils of the peninsula – schist, granite, and limestone – in combination with the maritime influence of the Mediterranean, shape a style that relies on minerality, bright fruit, and freshness. Grenache, Cinsault, and Tibouren form the characteristic grape varieties of this coastal location. Among the best-known cuvées are the Mas de Pampelonne, the Domaine Siouvette, and the Note Bleue; the Fleur de Mer Rosé stands for the accessible, aromatic entry into the range. In addition to the rosé, white wines with Mediterranean freshness and red wines with soft tannins and food compatibility are produced. The diversity of the four terroirs allows for a range that goes beyond the classic Provence rosé – without losing the identity of the peninsula in the process.
