My recent journey through Provence concluded at Chateau de Montcaud, which I reached after crossing the Rhône and driving through vineyards with Mont Ventoux forever in my rear-view mirror. While designer fashion houses are at the helm in Saint-Tropez at Le Cheval Blanc, the four-star Chateau de Montcaud celebrates its connections to the couture of the past. Once silk-manufacturer’s mansion, built in 1848, it lay empty for five years and has been transformed by Swiss couple Rolf and Andrea Bertschi – who have lived all over the world thanks to Rolf’s career in the hotel industry – and opening for its first summer season in 2019.
Set in expansive parkland, which have been painstakingly restored after the original 1892 plans were found, there is an outdoor pool and tennis courts, as well as bikes to borrow. The spacious rooms have been styled by the Swiss interior designer Iria Degen, making the most of the elegant wood panelling and high ceilings. But it is the restaurant that makes Chateau de Montcaud most worth the detour. Chef Matthieu Hervé has worked for Daniel Boulud in New York and three-star chef Peter Knogl in Basel and is now setting out his own vision at the Restaurant Montcaud, and the adjoining bistrot. A heavenly amuse-bouche of lobster in a zesty orange jelly sets the bar high for a meal that just keeps on giving, coupled by wines suggested by the knowledgeable sommelier Alexandre Cohen. Afterwards, owner Andrea Bertschi comes to say hello – baby monitor in hand, for this is the family home as well – and regales us with tales of their new olfactory garden; of the perfumed candles they had made with the scent of a felled cedar tree; and how they’re working with a silk expert who is re-establishing silk worms to the area. The Bertchi’s passion for hospitality, heritage and cuisine combine to make Chateau de Montcaud an enchanting place to be and a place that makes star-ratings seem wholly irrelevant.
Chateau de Montcaud has B&B doubles from €147 (00 33 4 66 33 20 15, chateaudemontcaud.com).
