Here is the information that shakes the web of wine : George Lucas discreetly acquired around 15 hectares of vineyards in the Var. This transaction, carried out in April, has just been revealed by the daily Var-Matin.
Château Margüi added at the bottom of its website the mention : « A member of Skywalker Vineyards », only clue revealing the name of the new owner of this Châteauvert wine estate. Georges lucas, father of the Star Wars saga, would therefore have settled near the Miraval Castle of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
An acquisition for 9,5 millions of euros
Philippe Guillanton, owner of the estate for seventeen years, told AFP that US director George Lucas has acquired Château Margüi, a wine estate in Châteauvert in the Var.
The previous owner has not communicated the amount of the transaction, but the mayor of this Var commune, Serge Loudes, revealed in the columns of Var-Matin the sum of 9,5 millions of euros.
The transaction was carried out by the “Skywalker Vineyards” group, a wine investment company that owns vineyards in California, as well as in Italy. Georges Lucas is the main shareholder of this company taking the name Skywalker, hero of the Star Wars saga.
This amount may seem high, yet this is a pretty good purchase price. To compare, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had spent nearly forty million euros in 2008 in the neighboring town of Val for 600 hectares of their Miraval estate, which 50 hectares of vines. Although divorced, the Brangelina have finally decided to keep their domain.
An investment of 15 million euros for the cellar
The "Skywalker Vineyards" investment company, owned by George Lucas, wish to invest 15 million euros more to modernize the cellar and build a hotel residence to host private receptions and business meetings.
In fact, the municipal council of the commune of Châteauvert voted last February to modify the local urban plan to fit in with this new extension project.. According to Philippe Guillanton, this investment would create "between twenty and thirty jobs" after two years of work.
Château Margüi is a sumptuous estate of 115 hectares of vines, cypress and olive trees. Vineyards, olive groves, orchards and vegetable gardens, 3 sources, a century-old alley and ancient pools. The 115 ha have been classified AB by Ecocert. The elegant 18th century Chateau is recognized as a "remarkable agricultural building". The estate also has a Romanesque chapel. In total, 2000m² of living space are set in the French gardens and rehabilitated in pure architectural authenticity.
A smart investment from George Lucas
Behind Bordeaux wine estates, the Mediterranean vineyard is the second most sought after by investors according to Vinea, a Montpellier agency specializing in this type of transaction. The spectacular boom in rosé wine around the world over the past ten years has doubled the price per hectare in Côtes de Provence. The former Formula One driver 1 Michael sSchumacher, the king of cashmere Eric Bompard or the Schneider family have also invested in the region.
The wine is available in white, red and rosé, under the name Côteaux-Varois-en-Provence. Although I'm not pro-medals, it must be recognized that the wines of the Margüi estate are regularly rewarded in recognized competitions. For example :
- The red wine of Château Margüi 2011 : Titien de Margüi composed of Syrah 66% and Cabernet Sauvignon 34% was Gold Medal of the Mâcon Competition in 2013.
- The Perle de Margüi rosé made from Cinsault 40%, Grenache 40%, Syrah 10%, role 10% was awarded a star in the Guide Hachette in 2017.
- White wine from Château de Margüi 2015 : The Gold of Stones, composed of Vermentino 90 % and Ugni Blanc 10 %, is a silver medalist at the Concours Général Agricole de Paris 2016.
Jean-Nicolas Mouretin
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