Domaine du Val d'Argan is the first and only Moroccan vineyard dedicated to the grape varieties of the Rhone Valley. About 20 kilometers from the coastal town of Essaouira, French winegrower Charles Melia planted vines in virgin land where almost no one believed grapes could grow.
Backstory
Charles Melia, a Frenchman who spent the first twenty years of his life in North Africa, founded Val d'Argan in 1994. A winegrower at Chateauneuf-du-Pape, where his family owned Chateau de la Font du Loup, he realized that Rhone varieties would suit the local terroir and brought them to Morocco.
The Region
The estate sits inland from Essaouira, near the village of Ounagha, where mild climate, Atlantic winds, and fertile soil create unexpectedly favorable growing conditions on the Moroccan Atlantic coast.
Vineyards and Farming
Val d'Argan was the first vineyard in Morocco to earn organic certification. Some vineyard work is still carried out with the help of camels rather than tractors, in keeping with the estate's North African setting.
Winemaking
The estate blends 13 different grape varieties, from Ugni Blanc and Clairette to Muscat Noir, Syrah, and Mourvedre. Melia's favorite is Marselan, a Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon cross used in Cotes du Rhone blends, which he believes has the greatest potential in this terroir.
The Wines
Val d'Argan produces around 200,000 bottles a year of Rhone-style reds, whites, and roses with a distinct North African edge.
