rolls-royce ghost: art, wine & engineering elegance at château la coste

rolls-royce ghost drive at Château la Coste

When visiting Château la Coste in a Rolls-Royce Ghost, there’s no shortage of beauty and engineering marvels. Driving through the Tadao Ando-designed gates, past Frank Gehry’s kaleidoscopic glass pavilion, and climbing up towards Richard Rogers’ cantilevered drawing-turned-exhibition room, the realization of art through engineering triumphs is clear for all visitors. The vineyard, located amongst the rolling hills of Provence, France, has become a pilgrimage for those who champion very best in wine, architecture, art and, now, automotive.

journey through the Tadao Ando-designed gates of Château la Coste

all images courtesy of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

château la coste pairs art, wine, and architecture

Château la Coste’s modern interpretation began in 2004, although its use for agriculture dates back to the Roman times. The 600-acre site lays host to more than just world famous wines, welcoming artists and architects to create sculptures with carte blanche. The work of many celebrated creatives on-site include Bob Dylan, Tracey Emin, Kengo Kuma, Paul Matisse, Oscar Niemeyer, Jean Nouvel, Renzo Piano, and Ai Weiwei, to name but a few. The list’s grandeur is so long that a park is really needed to fit. It is said to be Europe’s largest open-air contemporary art gallery – a lot to see as we tour the grounds from a Rolls-Royce Ghost.

‘Europe’s largest open-air contemporary art gallery’ is located in Provence, France

engineering triumph of rolls-royce ghost

Conceived in 2009, the Ghost intended to express Rolls-Royce in a smaller, younger, more personal, and more driver-oriented experience than ever before. No wonder, then, that in a decade it rose to become the marque’s most successful model in their history, come 2019. The new generation in 2020 continued the purist for perfection on three fronts: post-opulent design, highly crafted details, and advanced technologies. The car exuded elegance as opposed to shouting, despite the best efforts of its thunderous V12.

designboom drove the Rolls-Royce Ghost’s alter ego, Black Badge, in the French region

Bathed in orange to match the autumnal foliage of Provence, our Rolls-Royce to drive was a Black Badge. Dubbed the alter ego of the British marquee’s models, the Black Badge now adorns the entire portfolio, apart from the all-electric Spectre, from the ultra-, ultra-luxurious Phantom to the all-conquering Cullinan SUV. The Badge lends a darker aesthetic, assertive character, and bold design in comparison to the norm… if you can describe anything normal about a Rolls.

the Black Badge lends a darker aesthetic, assertive character, and bold design in comparison to the norm

Just like Château la Coste, the Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge challenges conventions and, quite literally in the case of Rogers’ building, pushes every aspect to the edge of possibility. As such, its beauty is matched by its engineering. The all-aluminum spaceframe architecture, when paired with all-wheel drive and planar suspension, delivers the renowned magic carpet ride as we zigzag along the country roads of Provence’s hills. When considering the 6.75-liter V12 reaches 600PS and 900 Nm of torque, the comfort for passengers and the complete control for the driver astonished just as much as the vineyard’s wine, architecture, and art.