Our six hectares of vines are comprised of two small parcels of land on the gently sloping plateau of Cap Camarat, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea 100 metres (320 feet) below. The soil is a mixture of sand, clay and stone, high in iron and other minerals.

All this amounts to an ideal setting for growing superb wine grapes and, indeed, there have been vineyards at Chateau Volterra for nearly a century. Sadly however, a decade of neglect had left these vines in ruins by the end of the 1990s. We chose to start afresh and, given the suitability of the terroir for fine Côtes de Provence wines, set our sights on top quality production. In 1999 the vineyards were entirely replanted with appellation varietals known to thrive in the region: for red wines, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cabernet Sauvignon; for white, Vermentino.

During the ripening season the grapes bask in the reflective light of the sea. Early morning mists are dispersed by constant sea breezes, which have a cooling effect even on the hottest summer days.

This breezy dry climate also discourages the development of fungus and other diseases on our vines. Consequently only a few targetted treatments copper sulfate (used by organic growers) is needed to prevent or control disease.

Each vine is tended by hand and kept clear of weeds manually. We do not use any chemical herbicides. The vines are hand-pruned to a low bud count and grapes are further aggressively culled after fruit set to drastically reduce yield and improve fruit quality.