Charles Melia has embarked on an ambitious project, some might say: overly ambitious. However, it is a project with an endless sky, a sun that makes his grapes glow, fertile earth consisting of limestone and clay, and an air that carries memories of his childhood.

Melia is a winegrower. He was raised in Morocco and returned there from France 25 years ago. Melia is well-known in Europe and was proprietor of the Château de la FONT DU LOUP in CHÂTEAUNEUF DU PAPE from 1977.

When the 1990s came, he began to think about retirement, hoping to return to Essaouira, on a piece of land the owner had leased him for 99 years.

Building his retirement home 24 kilometres from Essaouira got off to a rocky start – in the true sense of the word. For four years, Melia worked the ground, dug up stones and earth, eventually planted the first vines, constructed buildings and a cellar where his future wines that he would grow here – God and nature willing – would be stored.

At the end of these efforts stood a new beginning: the DOMAINE DU VAL D’ARGAN, the first and only vineyard in Morocco where only grapes from the Rhône valley are grown – five varieties at first, on seven hectares at the time.

For ten years, Melia grew wine both in France and Morocco. Preparations for his retirement turned out to be entirely different from what he had planned. But after all, what would a dyed-in-the-wool winegrower do without the scent of grapes in his nostrils, the view of the sky telling him about the weather, the feel of earth under his feet when he roams through his vineyards, and the deep sense of satisfaction when he enters his cellar with its thick walls and concrete tanks, where 300,000 bottles are stored today. You can probably guess: The seven hectares became fifty, the five grape varieties thirteen. Today, Melia produces 1,500 hectolitres of wine a year, equivalent to 200,000 bottles. For the moment, all thoughts of retirement have been put on hold!

Why Essaouira? First of all, because of the omnipresent wind, which reminded Melia of the Rhône valley and the Mistral. Secondly, there was the longing for something entirely new, something untouched; the need to start a project from scratch, to be the first. He didn’t want to go where everyone else was headed. When Charles Melia opted for Essaouira, he wasn’t the only interested party. Several foreign investors announced their interest, but never followed through, and Melia turned out to be the only one to stay the course. That also meant that any experiences were down to him, there was nothing and no one to fall back on. And he certainly had a lot to learn: The location of the vineyard at the edge of the desert also brings with it several unique climate characteristics. During the first years, it was the burning heat that bothered him and his vines. Lose an entire harvest within the space of a few hours? It’s possible. Melia began to cut his vines short, to let them grow in small clusters, thus creating shade for the precious grapes and protecting them from the heat. Those grapes that are exposed to the sun are covered in mulch made from eucalyptus, olive and mimosa twigs.

Pests also need to be kept at bay, but the use of pesticides is not an option at an organically certified vineyard. Instead, sorghum is used, a tall-growing African grain that surrounds the vines like a fence, also protecting them against the relentless wind.

There isn’t a lot of modern-day technology to be found here, and there is no need for it, either. Instead of a tractor, Goliath deals with all the tasks that require more strength than that of a man. Dromedary Goliath is something like the ox of the south – he helps plough the soil, keeping it free from weeds, loose and well-aired. The tasks here are clearly allocated. In the evening, when the last rays of the sun are reflected in the doors of the house’s gallery, Charles Melia likes to hit a golf ball or two on his estate. His employees have long stopped wondering about the dozens of golf balls between the vines, and Goliath isn’t particularly interested anymore, either.

This is not the retirement that Melia had envisaged: It is quite simply the perfect life. After all, the truly wonderful things are rarely down to planning – they tend to surprise us.

The DOMAINE DU VAL D’ARGAN produces the “Gazelle de Mogador” as a white, red and rosé wine, the Val d’Argan in white, red and rosé, and the Perle as a noire, rosé, blanche and grise. The Orian Clanche and the Orian de Val d’Argan, the highlight of the estate, are tributes to the country itself. A harmonious blend of mocha, leather, and overripe figs with a powerful, creamy bouquet: a luxury vintage that is unique in Morocco.