→ VINEYARD ST MAXIMIN STE BAUME - ABBAYE SAINT HILAIRE - OFFICIAL WEBSITE

At the heart of Provence, 10 km from St Maximin-La-Ste-Baume, between the Sainte Victoire and Auréliens mountains, the Domaine de l'Abbaye St Hilaire and the Domaine de Clapiers, which reunited in 2002 to become Les Domaines de Provence ltd., span 160 hectares of vines.

We focus our production methods on bringing out the strong points of each of our two vineyards, the Abbaye Saint Hilaire (100 hectares) and Clapiers (60 hectares).

Each year, we produce approximately 10 000 hL of wines that are often praised in the trade press and frequent medal winners at fairs and professional competitions.

A large vineyard of 100 hectares in the heart of Provence

Sweet white and roses wines, Provence wine, red wine storage

Vin de Pays du Var or AOC Coteaux Varois en Provence: taste all the character and finesse of our delectable terroir in your glass:
Produced in compliance with the most ecologically sound methods, “Tentation” is the Saint Hilaire wine you can’t resist. Refreshingly sweet, this is the ideal wine for an aperitif or a light meal.

The expression of a unique terroir that benefits from an integrated approach to farming, “Domeni” is Saint Hilaire’s traditional cuvée. Its nice, long finish and structure make it a balanced wine that is typical of… Provence.

The result of a careful parcel selection, the “Cuvée du Prieur” is the emblem of Saint Hilaire: an intense, mature wine with a nice finish and strong potential. An excellent “vin de garde” – or wine for ageing – in white and red AOC Coteaux Varois en Provence. Le Prieur is also available in rosé.

a huge range of Provence wine in AOC Coteaux Varois en Provence and regional wine from Var

Abbaye St Hilaire and its products from Provence, olive oil, liqueur and liquor red wine

The Abbaye St Hilaire brings you traditional products made exclusively from our own parcels in keeping with age-old Provencal tradition.

Olive oil, vinegar, aperitifs, digestives, spirits, traditional sparkling wines, authentic grape juice and apple juice, pomace brandy, etc.

The Abbaye St Hilaire revives the tradition of these wholesome products, the bounty of the land of olive trees and lavender…

Vast woodland and integrated farming now make it possible to rediscover the flavours of times past, such as Vin Cuit au Feu de Bois (wine “slow-cooked” over a wood fire) or Cartagene, a fortified wine made from a tasty blend of alcohol and fresh grape must, with no artificial flavours added.

Epoxy-lined cement vats, oak barrels and casks, temperature-controlled stainless steel vat room, cool ambient temperature and chilled vats… Modernity and tradition strike a perfect balance in the Domaine de l’Abbaye St Hilaire wine cellar.
The grape harvest is organised in two 10-hour shifts for a meticulous, smooth-running operation that is adapted to the harvest.

Starting at 5 o’clock in the morning, the harvest picked by the first team is fully de-stemmed; the grape berries are separated from the stalk of the cluster.
The grapes are now referred to as must. The must used to make red wine is sent directly to the vat via a stainless steel valve system that meets food safety standards, while the must used to make white and rosé wine is sent either to the maceration vats or to the pneumatic presses.

The next stage is juice extraction.
The second team ensures there is no break in operations by preparing for the change in shift an hour before the first team is finished.
Pressing the morning’s must, adding selected yeasts and thoroughly cleaning the cellar are all on the agenda.

Three full-time staff members are employed for production year-round at the cellar, and seven people during the harvest.
After vinification, 80% of the wine is bottled at the estate with the remaining 20% sold in bulk to wine merchants.

Abbaye saint hilaire red wines storage are aged in oak barrels

screwless, as evidenced during our visits cellar (2007 harvest)

From mid-September to mid-October, our grapes are harvested from 5 a.m. until noon. We take advantage of the fact that the grapes are still fresh and cool from the night, thus preserving the quality of the future wine by effectively protecting the fruit’s aromas.

When oxygen in the air comes into contact with the juice of the grapes, it can easily oxidize the fruit, and even more so in higher temperatures. So it is best to harvest in the morning when it is cool.

We use some of the best grape harvesters that can be fine-tuned to the specifics of each vineyard.

This ensures that only high-quality grapes are selected, with little crushing, before being taken to a receiving platform for the first stage in the wine-making process.

Harvest reception, cellar visit began here...

wine vinegar for our range of traditional products Provencal

Abbaye Saint Hilaire special vintage of grape and apple juice

A 7-hectare olive grove was planted in the spring of 2004 on the northern tip of the St Hilaire estate, called La Marotte. Thanks to the first harvest in 2009, you can now enjoy a salad simply seasoned with the fragrant olive oil from our estate.

Our olive oil is also used to enhance all the typical regional dishes we serve, adding delicious flavour to aioli and ratatouille.

A dozen or so varieties of apples planted in 2005 (Golden, Early Red, Elista, Reinette, Granny Smith, etc.) are used to make delicious home-made fruit juice.

Since 2007, cereal crops like wheat and barley are grown on 90 hectares of our land.