Challenges

"One hilltop village follows another on the northern flank of the Petit Luberon massif in the Vaucluse. After Ménerbes, the road heads towards Oppède-le-Vieux. A dirt track curves off at a tangent, leading to a driveway shaded by oak trees. It comes up against an elegant wrought-iron gate that gives access to a 25-hectare wine estate: Domaine de Marie. Since 1999, a hotel has nestled between the walls of the ancient bastide with its subtle grey-beige shutters. It's one of the jewels in the crown of the establishments created by Jocelyne and Jean-Louis Sibuet.

Like Les Fermes de Marie, inaugurated ten years earlier in Megève, it bears the name of their youngest daughter. The atmosphere is the same as that of a family home, but here it's the Provençal soul that is cultivated, with an abundance of color. Instead of numbers, the rooms bear evocative names: Bleu de Nîmes, Gris de Sauge... Floors covered in tommettes, furniture found in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and signed with the cachet. Above the bed in the Garance suite, a dark red canopy unfurls. Exposed stone walls.

A vast terrace adjoins the restaurant. It offers an enchanting view: cypress trees in the foreground, then fields of vines, and finally the forest that crowns the Luberon mountains. You can taste the wine from one side or the other, the light breeze from the escapes conducive to daydreaming. Once the shade is at its shortest, bunches of lavender appear. Gathered under the roof tiles. It's hard to resist the temptation to let your naked soul wander... To draw the eye to the poultry you're tasting at the sight of the estate's wines."

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