The contiguous 30 hectares of organically-farmed vineyards surrounded by forest, two streams (Mesclances is dialect for the confluence of rivers) and a gentle slope to the north lead up to the classic Provencal chateau. The charming and sage Arnaud de Villeneuve Bargemon greeted us at the entrance, accompanied by Alexandre Le Corguillé, the estate manager and our mutual contact with M. Portalis. The estate has been in Arnaud’s family since the Revolution, steadily producing the traditional wines of the region and existing as a picturesque ideal of Mediterranean culture.