Ancient fragrances at Mas des Tourelles

At the gates of Beaucaire, Mas des Tourelles cultivates the ancestral tradition of Roman wine growing.

AnCient frAgrAnCes At MAs Des toureLLes

Mas des Tourelles has belonged to the Durand family since 1726 and is located near the so-called «Cesar’s Columns» milestones on the Beaucaire road. It conceals the remains of some 2000 years of history on its land. This exceptional heritage was acquired in the early 80s by Hervé Durand, an archaeology enthusiast, who instigated a series of digs on his property to uncover the remains of a Roman villa and its amphora workshops. Not merely content with his fi ndings, the enterprising wine grower went on to imagine the work of the Romans. Encouraged by André Tchernia, a specialist in Roman wine growing, Hervé Durand decided to put his ideas into practice. The concept of producing wine using ancient wine making techniques is audacious to say the least, but this man has a strong character and a good deal of courage. He launched into retranslating the techniques described in the Latin works Columelle, Caton and Pline, accurately depicting vine cultivation and wine characteristics.

Cella vinaria, unique in the world

To experiment on the flavours and aromas of the time, Hervé Durand, in collaboration with researchers from the CNRS, wasted no time in obtaining an exceptional tool, a cella vinaria, which is nothing less than a lifesized reconstruction of a Gallo-Roman cellar. Here, the grapes are treaded, pressed and then fermented for two to three weeks in dolia, or large jars. Since its first vintage in 1991, Mas des Tourelles has carried on producing three types of wine, Muslum, a red wine with ruby glints and a hint of honey, aromatic herbs and spices, Carenum created by fermenting very ripe grapes with plants and quinces, and finally Turricalae, a dry wine produced by adding fenugreek, a herb with a nutty, almond flavour, and sea water! At the gates to the Tourelles villa, a path lined by cypress trees crosses the sacred wood and leads to the ancient vineyards, reconstituted in 1996. Throughout the year, visitors are free to discover this magic place, explore the Gallo-Roman cellars and, of course, taste these ancient flavours and other wines produced on the estate.

Mas des Tourelles in Beaucaire : + 33 (0)4 66 59 19 72