Maison Caillou Blanc

Maison Caillou Blanc lies at the foot of the Petit Luberon, on a single parcel of 42 hectares whose boundaries have not changed since the eighteenth century. The estate sits between the villages of Ménerbes and Bonnieux at an elevation of 320 metres — high enough to escape the summer haze of the valley, low enough to be reached by car in under fifty minutes from Avignon TGV. The closest neighbour is two kilometres away, beyond the eastern vineyard. The land, left almost entirely uncultivated except for the olive groves and the one-hectare vineyard, is home to wild boar, golden orioles, and a population of green woodpeckers that are now almost extinct elsewhere in the region.

The mas was built in 1748 from local lavender-grey limestone — pierre de Bonnieux — quarried less than three kilometres from the estate. Restored over seven years by Atelier RFB of Marseille, the property retains its original oak ceilings, vaulted cellars, and twelve fireplaces. The four suites — each between 55 and 80 square metres — are composed in bouclé, raw linen and a single line of antique walnut furniture sourced from estate sales across Provence. There is no patterning anywhere in the house. The original chapel, dating to 1764, has been converted into a library: floor-to-ceiling oak shelving, three deep armchairs, and a writing desk built into what was once the altar. The wine cellar, carved into the hillside at a depth of eight metres, maintains a natural temperature of 13°C year-round.

The grounds include 320 olive trees of two heritage varieties (aglandau and bouteillan) producing approximately 800 litres of estate olive oil annually; two hectares of fine lavandin, harvested in early July and distilled on site; a 4,200 square-metre potager managed by a resident gardener; and a one-hectare vineyard producing a single Côtes du Luberon rosé. A heated pool of 18 metres, finished in pale Provençal limestone, is set within the original walled garden. A clay tennis court, recently restored, lies hidden beyond the cypresses.

The estate is offered with a resident chef trained in Lyon and Paris, whose menus are composed entirely from the potager, the local market in Apt, and a network of three farmers around Cucuron. Truffle hunting, in season, is conducted with a local rabassier and his lagotto romagnolo. A sommelier is available on request to compose a tasting through the 1,400-bottle cellar. Excursions can be arranged to private vineyards, abbey concerts, antiques markets and the studios of two of Provence's most reclusive ceramicists.