It’s surely one of the most anticipated releases from Ridley Scott in decades. No, I don’t mean Gladiator II, I’m talking about his new limited-edition wines.
What do you mean you didn’t know Ridley Scott made wine? Quite so. The estate, Mas des Infermières in the South of France, has been producing award-winning wines cultivated under the warmth of the Provençal sun since 2009. In fact, Scott acquired the estate – and its newly-planted vines – in 1992 and, since then, his ambition has always been to embrace and preserve the Provençal wine making tradition.
Situated in northern Luberon, Mas des Infermières is very close to the ancient citadel of Oppède-le-Vieux and those picture postcard Provençal villages of Lacoste, Ménerbes and Bonnieux. Indeed, its natural beauty, and the proximity of one of the legendary ‘Carré de Sator’ stones, is what drew Ridley Scott and his family to this area.
The name comes from the region being a place of healing, and the first mention of Mas des Infermières appeared on the land register of Napoleon in 1831, and then belonged to the general Baron Robert, surgeon to Napoleon’s army.
Hang on…Napoleon? Remnants of ancient Rome? Wine-making? Sound familiar? You can see the connection between the region and the inspiration behind the movies, including – for those film buffs among you – A Good Year, virtually an homage to the area and its wine legacy.
As for the wine-making, for Scott, this is no hobby or vanity project either. Under the expertise of its Director, Christophe Barraud, and Cellar Master, Fabien Lacassaigne, the construction of a modern ‘Cave’ completed in 2020 is testament to how seriously they take their viticulture. Bringing together the traditional characteristics of a Provençal cellar with a contemporary approach to the wine-making – and a few flourishes of movie memorabilia, naturally – producing wines using advanced, sustainable practices, and garnering HVE, or high environmental value, certification in the process.
Little surprise the wines have already gone on to win several awards – including four silver and two gold medals at the Paris Concours General Agricole, and two silvers and a gold from Vignerons Indépendants.
With seven releases to date, The Imperators Collection are the latest in the canon from the estate, inspired by the historic Roman emperors and brothers Caracalla and Geta, both of whom are depicted in Gladiator II.
The red is named after Emperor Caracalla, played in the film by Fred Hechinger. A blend of 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache, it’s elegant and silky, and features notes of fresh spices and ripe black fruits. The white is inspired by the emperor, Geta, brother of Caracalla, played by Joseph Quinn. This lively Luberon AOP, made up of Rolle, Clairette and Roussane has floral notes of lime tree, with aromas of white fruits and citrus, sublimated by a gourmet note of fresh almond.
Scott, too, has a close hand in the production, often down to the finite detail, including illustrating the labels of the bottles. And in an exciting move for film fans, the estate has produced an even more limited run of its premium magnum of Ombre de Lune red, which comes in a luxury box complete with a commemorative card hand-signed by the director, along with a prop coin from the film. Each special edition magnum, called Imperatores – meaning Emperors – will be one of just 100 numbered magnums available to buy in the UK.
Speaking about the collection, Ridley said, “I’m extremely proud of the quality of the wines we produce on our estate in Luberon and I’m excited for Selfridges customers to try this limited edition run of our Source wines and the collector’s edition of our Ombre de Lune Magnum. The brothers are two very interesting, colourful characters and I wanted to bring the bottles to life with these whimsical effigies.”
Those able to get their hands on one of the Imperatores signed magnums will be in the illustrious company of the film’s stars – including Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Connie Nielsen – who have each been gifted a bottle by the director.
Mas des Infermières’ limited edition Imperatores Collection is available to purchase in the UK, exclusively at Selfridges stores in London, Birmingham & Manchester, and online at Selfridges.com. Available while stocks last. For fans in London booking tickets to see Gladiator 2 when it hits screens on 15 November, The Cinema at Selfridges will be stocking the wine at its bar for the ultimate Gladiator 2 experience.
