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Château Val d Arenc
Bandol by the Sénéclauze family at Le Beausset. Terraced mourvèdre: ageworthy red, full rosé, clairette white...
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Discover Château Val d Arenc in photos
Château Val d'Arenc - the Bandol of the Beausset-Vieux, mourvèdre on terraces facing the Gros Cerveau
Bandol - Le Beausset, Provence (Var)
Château Val d'Arenc is a Bandol estate, perched on dry-stone terraces on the Beausset-Vieux hill, in Le Beausset. Taken over by the Sénéclauze family in 1991, its 25 hectares give pride of place to mourvèdre, the king grape of the appellation, for reds built to keep, gastronomic rosés and a clairette white, to discover direct on Avenue des Vins.
The name already tells the place: facing the cliffs of the Gros Cerveau, overlooking the Val d'Aren gorge, the vineyard clings to dry-stone terraces, the restanques, on the Beausset-Vieux hill. This is Bandol, in the heart of Provence's mourvèdre country. When the Sénéclauze family took over the estate in 1991, they began nearly ten years of restructuring to reveal these 25 fragmented hectares. Wines of sun and patience, long-ageing reds, straight rosés, a saline white, to discover direct on Avenue des Vins.
A Bandol estate taken over by the Sénéclauze family
Château Val d'Arenc takes its name from its setting: the vineyard faces the cliffs of the Gros Cerveau and overlooks the Val d'Aren gorge, on the Beausset-Vieux hill, in Le Beausset. A natural belvedere, in the heart of the Bandol appellation area, in the Provençal hinterland.
In 1991, the Sénéclauze family acquired the property and undertook a sweeping restructuring of the vineyard, which would span nearly ten years. Replanting, reorganising the plots, putting mourvèdre back at the centre: deep, patient work, in keeping with an appellation that never gives itself up in a hurry. Today the estate covers 25 hectares spread over some thirty plots, farmed on terraces on steep slopes.
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The terraces of the Beausset-Vieux, home of mourvèdre
Bandol is one of the great southern appellations for ageworthy reds, and its secret lies in one grape: mourvèdre. Capricious and late-ripening, it demands sun and poor soils, exactly what the slopes of the Beausset-Vieux offer, with their Triassic and Jurassic terrains. The plots rise in restanques, the dry-stone terraces that follow the slope and hold back the soil.
Each lieu-dit has its own geological identity. Val d'Arenc sits on rudist-bearing limestone marls, the Vallon du Canadeau on fine gravels, the Guis and Escadenières sectors on clay-limestone marls. The whites, for their part, come from north-facing plots that preserve freshness. This mosaic of soils and exposures is the raw material of the estate's blends.
Val d'Arenc · rudist-bearing limestone marls
Vallon du Canadeau · fine gravels, south-facing
Guis & Escadenières · clay-limestone marls, north-facing
Beausset-Vieux terraces · dry-stone restanques, Triassic and Jurassic soils
Long ageing, the signature of red Bandol
A red Bandol is not rushed. The Val d'Arenc red, led by mourvèdre, is aged eighteen months in barrels and foudres sourced solely from Burgundy coopers. This extended time in wood softens the grape's powerful tannins and builds a wine for long keeping, with aromas of red fruits lifted by spice and a refined, lingering palate.
The rosé plays a different tune: made for the table, it rests a few months on fine lees that give it body and backbone. The white, finally, is made from free-run juice and fermented at low temperature to preserve its freshness and salinity. Three colours, one same quest for precision.
Red: 18 months in foudres and barrels
Long ageing in wood from Burgundy coopers, in the pure tradition of ageworthy Bandol.
Rosé: a few months on fine lees
A gastronomic rosé, straight and elegant, with body and a mineral freshness.
White: free-run juice, low temperature
Made with finesse to keep the fruit, freshness and salinity of the clairette.
The wines of Château Val d'Arenc
Three colours of Bandol, and a cellar speciality. The available vintages change with the bottlings: find those on offer on the estate's page.
Bandol Red
Red · 90% Mourvèdre, 10% Grenache · Aged 18 months in barrels and foudres
The estate's great wine, almost all mourvèdre. Aromas of red fruits lifted by spice, a refined, lingering palate, with fine "pinot-like" touches on the finish. An ageworthy Bandol, to wait a few years and serve with slow-cooked meats, game or a Provençal daube.
Bandol Rosé
Rosé · 80% Mourvèdre, 10% Grenache, 10% Cinsault · A few months on fine lees
Far from the token rosé: a true gastronomic rosé, straight and elegant, with ripe fruit, a mineral freshness and the mourvèdre's gentle spicy touch. At the table with bouillabaisse, grilled fish or Provençal cooking, and just as at home as an aperitif.
Bandol White
White · 95% Clairette, 5% Sauvignon blanc · North-facing plots
The rarest of the three, born of north-facing plots that preserve tension. Aromas of white and exotic fruits, freshness and a fine salinity. A white Bandol to open with shellfish, rockfish and Mediterranean cooking.
Marc de Provence
Marc spirit · Aged over 5 years in the cellar
The house speciality: a marc spirit aged more than five years, blended in equal parts from marcs over ten years old and three to five years old. A characterful digestif, in the Provençal tradition.
Bandol · Mourvèdre · Provence · Careful delivery across France and Europe
Why choose the wines of Château Val d'Arenc
A true mourvèdre Bandol. The appellation's king grape leads the blends, for long-ageing reds and gastronomic rosés, far from the clichés of Provence rosé.
A terroir of terraces. Twenty-five hectares of dry-stone terraces on the Beausset-Vieux hill, a mosaic of limestone and marl soils patiently restructured since 1991.
Long ageing, no compromise. Eighteen months in Burgundy foudres and barrels for the red: the time mourvèdre needs to reveal its nobility.
All three colours, and more. Red, rosé and white Bandol, rounded out by an aged marc de Provence: the full palette of a complete Provençal estate.
Direct from the estate. Avenue des Vins gives you access to Château Val d'Arenc's wines without needless intermediaries, with careful delivery across France and Europe.
Frequently asked questions about Château Val d'Arenc
Where is Château Val d'Arenc located?
The estate is in Le Beausset (83330), in the Var, on the Beausset-Vieux hill, facing the cliffs of the Gros Cerveau. Its vines, planted on terraces, span 25 hectares in the heart of the Bandol appellation area, in Provence.
Where does the name "Val d'Arenc" come from?
The name comes from the vineyard's setting, which faces the cliffs of the Gros Cerveau and overlooks the Val d'Aren gorge. It is this belvedere, on the Beausset-Vieux hill, that gave the château its name.
Since when has the Sénéclauze family run the estate?
The Sénéclauze family acquired Château Val d'Arenc in 1991. They then led a vineyard restructuring over nearly ten years, to put mourvèdre and the terroirs of the Beausset-Vieux back at the heart of production.
What is Bandol and why mourvèdre?
Bandol is a Provençal appellation renowned for its ageworthy reds and gastronomic rosés. Its emblematic grape is mourvèdre, late-ripening and demanding, which needs sun and poor soils. At Val d'Arenc it makes up the majority of the red grapes and gives the wines their structure and longevity.
Which grapes are grown at the estate?
For the reds and rosés: mourvèdre in the majority (around 70%), rounded out with grenache noir, cinsault and a little syrah. For the whites: clairette dominates, with touches of sauvignon blanc, rolle and ugni blanc. A typically Bandol grape mix.
How is the red Bandol aged?
The red is aged eighteen months in barrels and foudres, sourced solely from Burgundy coopers. This long ageing, characteristic of the Bandol appellation, softens the mourvèdre's tannins and prepares a wine for long keeping.
What are restanques?
Restanques are cultivation terraces held up by dry-stone walls, typical of the steep hillsides of Provence. They make it possible to plant vines on sharp slopes, to hold back the soil and manage water. At Val d'Arenc, the 25 hectares are tiered this way on the Beausset-Vieux hill.
Which dishes to pair with these wines and how long to keep them?
The ageworthy red Bandol pairs with slow-cooked meats, game, daubes and cheeses; serve it at around 16-17 °C, after a few years in the cellar. The rosé and white, served chilled (10-12 °C), go with Provençal cooking, fish, shellfish and bouillabaisse.
Where to buy the wines of Château Val d'Arenc direct?
The wines of Château Val d'Arenc are available on Avenue des Vins, in a short supply chain: the bottles come straight from the estate, with no needless intermediary, and are shipped to France as well as to the European countries eligible for delivery. The selection and vintages vary with the bottlings.
Red, rosé and white Bandol - mourvèdre from the Beausset-Vieux
Château Val d'Arenc - a 25-hectare Bandol estate on dry-stone terraces on the Beausset-Vieux hill, in Le Beausset (Var), taken over by the Sénéclauze family in 1991. Mourvèdre-led.
Red Bandol (mourvèdre, 18 months in foudres and barrels), gastronomic rosé and clairette white, plus a marc de Provence - direct from the estate.
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