Made In Provence

An all-star cast reinvigorates a stunning estate in the heart of the southern countryside.

- Jeff Jenssen and Mike DeSimone

THOUGHTS OF PROVENCE evoke images of winding roads bordered by a sea of olive trees, grapevines and lavender; of iron gates, unpaved lanes and enormous stone homes filled with handwoven carpets, Louis XV furniture and an infinite supply of pale-pink rose. And nothing, perhaps, is more picture-perfectly Provence than Château d’Estoublon.

Built in 1489 by an aristocratic Genoese family, this wine- and olive oil–producing estate has been lovingly chauffeured into the 21st century by a dream team of collaborators: Stéphane Courbit, owner of the Les Airelles hotel collection and Ladurée, the French macaron bakery turned cafe; former French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, the model, singer and one-time first lady of France, Carla Bruni; and Jean-Guillaume Prats, whose family owned Cos d’Estournel and who has previously held the role of CEO at both Château Lafite Rothschild and LVMH’s fine-wine division. The result is a spectacular 22-room retreat with a restaurant, cinema room, bar and billiards room (not to mention all that homegrown wine and olive oil) situated just two hours by car—but an entire world away—from the French Riviera.