THE MAJESTIC STRUCTURE OF MAS DES INFERMIÈRES, ALONG THE ROAD OF SAINT SEBASTIEN, IS IN THE PLAIN OF LES POULIVETS, A SETTLEMENT JUST OUTSIDE OF OPPÈDE-LE-VIEUX.
THE MAJESTIC STRUCTURE OF MAS DES INFERMIÈRES, ALONG THE ROAD OF SAINT SEBASTIEN, IS IN THE PLAIN OF LES POULIVETS, A SETTLEMENT JUST OUTSIDE OF OPPÈDE-LE-VIEUX.
After ten years in the English Cotswold countryside, which was very beautiful but also quite damp, I was encouraged to look for a sunny place in Provence.
I found the climate and light of Provence very relaxing and charming; it explained the reason for the area being so prolific and attractive to the great school of painters that lived here in the first half of the 20th century — Picasso and Van Gogh no less, and others.
I bought a pretty “Manoir” in 1992, with 11 hectares of newly planted vines with American rootstock, just one kilometer from Oppède-le-Vieux. For ten years, my crop was harvested by a co-operative in Coustellet. In this time, I was lucky to meet Denis Langue, an expert winemaker. I was curious to see what my vines were producing after 17 years of maturing in the Oppède soil and sun.
By 2012 we were awarded a Gold Medal at the Paris “Concours General Agricole,” a Silver medal in 2015, and again, another Gold in 2016.
In the 25 years I have been visiting this magical area, it has become an important place for me with its rich history — I made a film there celebrating my love for the district and the French way of life, “A Good Year”. The silence and sunshine are a sanctuary from my profession — filmmaking is noisy, and stress-filled, but it is my passion, and I love it. I adore being in Oppède, I come here to paint, read, write and, hopefully, improve my corner of Provence.
I hope you enjoy our wine!
After ten years in the English Cotswold countryside, which was very beautiful but also quite damp, I was encouraged to look for a sunny place in Provence.
I found the climate and light of Provence very relaxing and charming; it explained the reason for the area being so prolific and attractive to the great school of painters that lived here in the first half of the 20th century — Picasso and Van Gogh no less, and others.
I bought a pretty “Manoir” in 1992, with 11 hectares of newly planted vines with American rootstock, just one kilometer from Oppède-le-Vieux. For ten years, my crop was harvested by a co-operative in Coustellet. In this time, I was lucky to meet Denis Langue, an expert winemaker. I was curious to see what my vines were producing after 17 years of maturing in the Oppède soil and sun.
By 2012 we were awarded a Gold Medal at the Paris “Concours General Agricole,” a Silver medal in 2015, and again, another Gold in 2016.
In the 25 years I have been visiting this magical area, it has become an important place for me with its rich history — I made a film there celebrating my love for the district and the French way of life, “A Good Year”. The silence and sunshine are a sanctuary from my profession — filmmaking is noisy, and stress-filled, but it is my passion, and I love it. I adore being in Oppède, I come here to paint, read, write and, hopefully, improve my corner of Provence.
I hope you enjoy our wine!
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Ridley Scott, owner of Mas Des Infermières since 1992
CAVE & VINEYARD
The Cave is the product of a long ambition to bring together the excellence of wine making and the craft of film making into one dedicated space. Visitors can explore the vintages bottled here on-site, whilst immersed in memorabilia from Mr Scott’s own cinematic world. Architecturally the Cave draws on features of a classic Provencal cellar yet with a distinctly contemporary approach, a design ethos that is carried throughout the estate.
The Cave is the product of a long ambition to bring together the excellence of wine making and the craft of film making into one dedicated space. Visitors can explore the vintages bottled here on-site, whilst immersed in memorabilia from Mr Scott’s own cinematic world. Architecturally the Cave draws on features of a classic Provencal cellar yet with a distinctly contemporary approach, a design ethos that is carried throughout the estate.
SINCE ACQUIRING THE ESTATE, THE AMBITION HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO EMBRACE AND PRESERVE THE PROVENÇAL WINE MAKING TRADITION.
RIDLEY SCOTT
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SINCE ACQUIRING THE ESTATE, THE AMBITION HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO EMBRACE AND PRESERVE THE PROVENÇAL WINE MAKING TRADITION.
RIDLEY SCOTT
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The estate cultivates a mix of Grenache and Syrah grapes
Interior view of our stainless steel wine tanks
THE ESTATE
Situated in the historic Luberon region and fed by the ‘Source’, the beauty of Mas Des Infermières can be discovered. A world of rich Grenache and Syrah that stretches out towards the distant hilltop of Oppède-le-Vieux, it unfolds like the rolling hills beyond.
Situated in the historic Luberon region and fed by the ‘Source’, the beauty of Mas Des Infermières can be discovered. A world of rich Grenache and Syrah that stretches out towards the distant hilltop of Oppède-le-Vieux, it unfolds like the rolling hills beyond.
THE LUBERON IS FULL OF RICH HISTORY. THE ESTATE IS CLOSE TO ONE OF THE MYTHICAL SATOR STONES, WHICH CAN BE FOUND IN NEARBY OPPÉDE LE VIEUX. THIS INSPIRED THE 'STONE CUT' TYPOGRAPHY SEEN ON THE WINE LABELS.
RIDLEY SCOTT
MEET THE TEAM
Christophe Barraud
Christophe is the sixth generation of winegrowers, he grew up in the middle of Bordeaux barrels, and studied oenology and viticulture. He started his winemaker career near Nîmes at Château Saint Louis La Perdrix and at Château Talbot in St Julien de Beychevelle (Médoc). He won numerous awards such as the Grand Prix de Châteauneuf du Pape in Red and White of several favorite “Coup de Coeur” at the Guide Hachette and gold medals at the Concours Général de Paris.
Melanie de Rudder
Mélanie grew up in Avignon, the capital of the Côtes du Rhône, amazed by the varied landscapes and valleys of the surrounding vineyards. After studies in Plant Biology and business school, she went into a profession of passion. She worked for many years as a sales manager in wine estates and learned about wines, wine making and especially about the southern Rhône Valley. She loves sharing with consumers, national and international buyers, the same enthusiasm for good wines.
Fabien Lacassaigne
Grandson of a winegrower in the Bordeaux region, Fabien spent his youth near Sauternes, where the passion for wine appeared to him. He studied viticulture and oenology which enabled him to obtain his first job as a cellar master in the Entre-deux-Mers appellation. This experience allowed him to start working in the prestigious Pessac-Leognan appellation at Château Luchey-Halde. After 10 beautiful years there, he moved to the Provence area to discover and work in progression of great rosé wines.
Thomas Camilleri
Thomas is a sommelier who graduated from the university of wine of Suze-la-Rousse. He is a real wine and gastronomy enthusiast especially regarding the product of his native region, the southern Rhône Valley. He has also been working in a french gourmet market in Los Angeles and was the wine tourism manager of another winery on the appellation Luberon.
Christophe Barraud
Christophe is the sixth generation of winegrowers, he grew up in the middle of Bordeaux barrels, and studied oenology and viticulture. He started his winemaker career near Nîmes at Château Saint Louis La Perdrix and at Château Talbot in St Julien de Beychevelle (Médoc). He won numerous awards such as the Grand Prix de Châteauneuf du Pape in Red and White of several favorite “Coup de Coeur” at the Guide Hachette and gold medals at the Concours Général de Paris.
Melanie de Rudder
Mélanie grew up in Avignon, the capital of the Côtes du Rhône, amazed by the varied landscapes and valleys of the surrounding vineyards. After studies in Plant Biology and business school, she went into a profession of passion. She worked for many years as a sales manager in wine estates and learned about wines, wine making and especially about the southern Rhône Valley. She loves sharing with consumers, national and international buyers, the same enthusiasm for good wines.
Fabien Lacassaigne
Grandson of a winegrower in the Bordeaux region, Fabien spent his youth near Sauternes, where the passion for wine appeared to him. He studied viticulture and oenology which enabled him to obtain his first job as a cellar master in the Entre-deux-Mers appellation. This experience allowed him to start working in the prestigious Pessac-Leognan appellation at Château Luchey-Halde. After 10 beautiful years there, he moved to the Provence area to discover and work in progression of great rosé wines.
Thomas Camilleri
Thomas is a sommelier who graduated from the university of wine of Suze-la-Rousse. He is a real wine and gastronomy enthusiast especially regarding the product of his native region, the southern Rhône Valley. He has also been working in a french gourmet market in Los Angeles and was the wine tourism manager of another winery on the appellation Luberon.
ENVIRONMENT
At the core of our environmental strategy and policy is the protection and the development of the bee population at the estate. Indeed, as the old proverb says, “if the bees die, we all die”. This fundamental goal has implications on all aspects of our viticulture, starting with a state-of-the-art geographic information system to optimize all treatments in the vineyards, reducing our carbon footprint and minimizing the use of any chemicals – organic or not.
In order to become self-sufficient waterwise, we are conducting a hydrological study using Ground Penetrating Radar data, to optimize the choice of our drilling sites as well as to map the sustainable reserves of underground water. The bee protection priority has led us to pursue the environmentally friendly certification, HVE, Haute Valeur Environmentale (High Environmental Value) rather than organic certification.
At the core of our environmental strategy and policy is the protection and the development of the bee population at the estate. Indeed, as the old proverb says, “if the bees die, we all die”. This fundamental goal has implications on all aspects of our viticulture, starting with a state-of-the-art geographic information system to optimize all treatments in the vineyards, reducing our carbon footprint and minimizing the use of any chemicals – organic or not.
In order to become self-sufficient waterwise, we are conducting a hydrological study using Ground Penetrating Radar data, to optimize the choice of our drilling sites as well as to map the sustainable reserves of underground water. The bee protection priority has led us to pursue the environmentally friendly certification, HVE, Haute Valeur Environmentale (High Environmental Value) rather than organic certification.