Château Valmy

Winegrower Roussilon

Château Valmy

A subtle blend of history, terroir and one man’s skill

Château de Valmy
66700 Argelès-sur-mer (France)
Tél. (+33) 04 68 81 25 70
Fax. (+33) 04 68 81 15 18
www.chateau-valmy.com
contact@chateau-valmy.com
The Mediterranean as far as the eye can see, the Albères foothills plunging alluringly into the sea: this is Argelès-sur-Mer, where the sea meets the mountains on the road to Collioure. With its vines and exceptional terroir, CHATEAU VALMY also boasts an elegant mansion designed by the well-known Danish architect, Viggo Dorp Peterson. The property is surrounded by 6 hectares of grounds and a forest of sixty hectares of land, where cork-oak trees reach towards the sky, with the Albères Mountains as their backdrop and below them the magnificent vineyard.

Estate owner, Bernard Carbonnel (born in Valmy) and his charming wife Martine, Managing Director, now work with their daughters Clara and Anaïs. In 1997, they took on a real challenge: they sought to revive the wine estate bought in 1930 by Bernard’s grandfather, Victor Peix, from the family of the Minister for Agriculture of that time, Jules PAMS. For family reasons this estate had not been cultivated since 1982.

Of pure Catalan stock, Bernard and Martine have a genuine passion for the land. They hired a team of professionals and perfectionists who share the same outlook, thanks to the recommendations of reputed oenologist Patrick Léon and Joseph Parès, who became the exclusive Manager of this estate, where he tends “his” vines lovingly, whilst Valérie Sennac, Oenologist and Cellar Master, puts her magic touch to wine-making and maturation.

Restructuring the vineyard could therefore begin

The vineyard of 28 hectares is now planted with Syrah, Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Carignan, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat for red wines and Grenache Blanc, Viognier and Marsanne for whites.
Fortified wines are made with Muscat Petit Grain for the Muscat de Rivesaltes and with Grenache Noir for the Rivesaltes Grenat.
Rocky soils filled with shale and gneiss, dry winds and copious sun exposure, a selection of noble grape varieties, hand-picked harvests placed in small crates containing 10 kilos ….every detail at CHATEAU VALMY contributes to making exceptional wines that possess tremendous, unique elegance.

Modernisation for the wine-making facilities

Respecting the origins of this site and its glorious past, Nicolas Dornier (SICOE), an expert in wine-production engineering, succeeded in bringing a combination of modernity, discretion and simplicity to the existing buildings and in fact put these structures to their best advantage.

The result is splendid: a wine-making and maturing area that covers 450 m², filled with brand new stainless steel vats and French oak barrels.

The effect gives visual and aesthetic clarity.

The Valmy “Suites”

Martine and Bernard Carbonnel have truly succeeded in breathing new life into this magnificent château, whose stonework now gleams immaculately white. It stands in the heart of their wine estate and overlooks the Mediterranean, creating a link between past and present, the history of the Carbonell family and their contemporary style.

From spring to autumn, they welcome you to this magical setting. Part of the mansion has been converted to make a family home and another part has been refurbished to create five ultimately luxurious and extremely modern guest rooms inspired by designer Philippe Starck.

The elegant, remarkable sensuality of these rooms provides visitors with a view of infinity ….
Enter the realm of silence and sense the heartbeat of the heroes of Valmy….


Pascale Tétot