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| The sun setting over fields of lavender in Vaucluse. |
With its rolling hills of lavender, tranquil coastlines, and scenic limestone mountain ridges, this quintessentially Mediterranean region has been inspiring artists for centuries. To the west in Arles is where Vincent Van Gogh's immortal works such as
'Bedroom in Arles'(1888), 'Café Terrace at Night (1888), and
'Starry Night Over The Rhône' (1889) were painted into the consciousness of the world. East of Arles are the mountain ranges that inspired
Paul Cézanne's Mont-Saint-Victorie series of paintings, considered by connoisseurs as some of the most important works of Post Impressionism. Film artists from around the globe selected Cannes, a town along the eastern alpine border, to gather once a year to unveil their works. Past and present, it remains the most celebrated film festival in the world.
An artist of a different sort drew his inspiration from the lush fruits and vegetables produced by the year round sunshine and went on to create the concept of seasonal food menus; thus quietly revolutionizing the way we eat. It is in Provence, where an American expatriate, Richard Olney resided and penned his masterpiece "The French Menu Cookbook" (1970), now considered one of the most important culinary works of the 20th century and a foundational resource for cooks, such as Alice Waters who went on to highlight this farm to table approach in modern American cuisine with great success. His then revolutionary seasonal emphasis towards cooking and thoughtful wine/menu compositions drew visits to his home in Solliès-Toucas from the likes of Julia Child, M.F.K. Fisher, James Beard, Alice Waters and her friend Kermit Lynch, who at the time was a wine writer and small retailer. It was Richard Olney who introduced Lynch to the Peyraud family of Domaine Tempier who were in the middle of re-establishing the Bandol AOC, which went on to become one of the top rank vineyard sites in France. It is in part via these introductions that Provence began to be taken seriously as an important wine producing region and ceased being dismissed as simply a rosé producer.
Provence is located along the southeast coast of France. From north to south it is nearly 100 miles long with the Mediterranean sea running across its entire southern border. It is approximately 150 miles wide and is bordered by the Rhône River and Languedoc on the west and the Cote d'Azur and Italy on the east. It enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate with lots of sunshine, but some interior areas do experience an alpine and continental influence. The wines of Provence are heavily influenced by the cold, dry Mistral winds blowing from the north which help reduce humidity in the vineyards. Although there are a series of microclimates, generally speaking the vineyards are planted on 2 primary soil types: Calcareous limestone in the northern and western boundaries, and quartz rich schists named Crystalline in the east. Provence is to rosé as Champagne is to sparkling wine. It accounts for more than two thirds of the wines produced with its growers aiming to make mineral, terroir driven rosés rather than quaffable versions made from leftover juice. Although rosé reigns supreme, the reds and whites also produce compelling wines of great expressiveness and finesse.
LES BAUX DE PROVENCE AOC & COTEAUX D'AIX-EN-PROVENCE AOC
Les Baux de Provence is a relatively new AOC and somewhat of an anomaly. It produces twice as much red wine than it does rosé and virtually no whites. The reds are primarily Rhône varietal dominated, while the rosés are required to have a majority of Cinsault in the blend. This is the first AOC to require all vineyards to farm using biodynamic practices. Although the majority were already converted to organic viticulture, the rule was meant to deter chemical dispersion on neighboring vineyards and surrounding valleys by the powerful Mistral winds.
Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence is the 2nd largest Provençal appellation. Rosé accounts for over 80% of production and allows for the wines to have up to 20% white varietals. Typically the rosés using these varietals in this and other AOC's are labelled with an additional cuvée name although they are not required to do so. Again, the reds are primarily Rhône varietal blends and the small amount of white wine produced is required to have Rolle account for at least 50% of the
cépage.
PALLETTE AOC
This is the smallest AOC in Provence consisting of just over 100 acres of vineyards situated on both sides of the Arc river. There are only a few producers, the most well known being Château Simone which accounts for half of Pallette's total output, a virtual monopole of the AOC. Vineyards here, generally have a higher concentration of limestone, and enjoy a microclimate further protected by the winds thanks to the surrounding pine forests. It stands apart from the rest of Provence since it is a cool climate wine in a famously warm climate region. While red wines account for most of the area's production, both the reds and rosés must have at least half of any combination of Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre & Cinsault and up to 12 secondary varietals may be added. Pallette Blanc must have at least 55% Clairette Blanc, Clairette Rose, Picardin & Bourboulenc with up to 13 secondary varietals.
COTEAUX DE PIERREVERT AOC & COTEAUX VAROIS AOC
Established in 1998, Coteaux de Pierrevert is the newest Provençal AOC. The vineyards are situated in the Alpine foothills and produce distinctly more acid driven wines based on their higher elevation and cooler climate. They are somewhat of a rarity outside of the immediate region and are seldom exported. Primarily a rosé producing appellation, it too allows for up to 20% white grapes in their rosés. Grenache and Syrah dominate the reds, Rolle and/or Grenache Blanc steer the whites.
Similarly, Coteaux Varois is also a cooler climate Alpine region that was also granted AOC status in the 90's. Nearly all of the wine produced is rosé and must contain at least 2 of the following: Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Carignane.
CASSIS AOC
Cassis and winemaking go as far back as 600 BC when the Phoceaens introduced Ugni Blanc to the region. It was amongst the first regions to be granted AOC status when the appellation system was created. This is the only AOC in Provence where white wine production exceeds all others. Here, the vineyards sit atop a higher concentration of limestone and depending on the site, can enjoy further cooling from the sea breeze in addition to the winds from the north. Stylistically, they are lighter and crisper than most other Provence whites. Phylloxera wiped out the Muscatel variety from the region, and it was replaced with Marsanne, which alongside Clairette are the majority of the varietals used in today's wines.
Reds and Rosés are mainly blends of Grenache, Cinsault and Mourvèdre, with 20% being the maximum of white grapes allowed in its rosé.
BANDOL AOC
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| Clouds rolling in from the Meditteranean blocked by the mountains that protect the vines from strong northern winds. |
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The Peyraud family of Domaine Tempier was
instrumental in establishing the Bandol AOC in 1941 |
On the hills behind the fishing villages along the coast line is where the vineyards of Bandol are situated. Most of the vineyards face south towards the Mediterranean sea, and are planted behind mountain ranges that protect the vineyards from the strong winds from the north. The soils here differ significantly from the rest of Provence, consisting of chalk rich slopes, silicon and sandy marls. All conditions coincide to make a completely unique wine. Bandol produces unrivaled Mourvèdre. Despite the grape being of Spanish-Catalan descent (known as Monastrell or Mataró), it is in this region where the most cellar worthy, upper echelon examples are produced. AOC laws require Bandol wines to have a minimum of 50% Mourvèdre with a maximum of 95%. The remaining blend may include Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and/or Carignan. Wines are also required to age at least 18 months in oak. Although the reds are arguably the star of the region, there is twice as much rosé produced. Quality rosés from Bandol will typically have a pronounced mineral rich weight to them, lengthy finish and the potential for long term aging. Mourvèdre minimums for rosés are set at 20% and not to exceed 95%, the remaining blend can contain Grenache, Cinsault, with small amounts of Syrah, Carignan, Bouboulenc, Clairette and Ugni Blanc allowed. The small amount of Bandol whites produced must be composed of 50% Clairette Blanche; the remaining grapes allowed are Bourboulenc, Ugni Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Rolle.
CÔTES DE PROVENCE AOC
Primarily situated in the east, the Côtes de Provence is by far the largest AOC in Provence. In general the vineyards reside on 5 major geographical areas: coastal, inland valleys, foothills, the Beausset Basin east of Marseille and the Sainte-Victorie Mountain. Of the 85 communes covered under the AOC, there are 4 geographical designations that can add their names onto wine labels (Sainte-Victorie, Fréjus, La Londe, Pierrefeau). Three quarters of the wines produced are rosés, however they will appear darker in color than the rest of the region since 20% of the rosé must be blended from wine produced by
saignée method. Reds and rosés must contain 2 of the following: Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Tibouren, Carignane, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. More freedom is allowed for the white wines as they may be made with any amount of Rolle, Ugni Blanc, Clairette and/or Sémillon.
BELLET AOC
With some vines planted within the city of Nice, Bellet is technically the only urban AOC in France. Slightly larger than the Palette AOC, it sits near the border of Italy and boasts 2 indigenous red varietals: Braquet and Folle Noire (aka Jurançon Noir). Red wines may only use a combo of primarily Braquet and/or Folle Noire with the possible addition of Cinsault and Grenache. Rosé rules are similar to the reds, although they are allowed to use up to 40% white varietals. Red wine production slightly tops the whites, which are primarily made from Rolle, but may include Blanqueiron, Ugni Blanc, Mayorquin, Clairette Blanche, Bourboulenc, Chardonnay, Muscat à Petit Grains and/or Pignerol.
DOMAINE DE TRÉVALLON
As is the case with other regions, Vin de Pays wines that exists outside of the AOC system should never be dismissed as inferior. These wines are where experimentation, innovation, and wines that drink outside the box can be found. In the case of Domaine de Trévallon, it's also where rebellion can reach a fever pitch. After studying old texts from the influential viticulturist Jules Guyot, it was determined that much of this area was dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon before phylloxera wiped out the plantings. Intent on respecting the land, winemaker Eloi Dürrbach began replanting Cabernet in the mid 1970's. These vines are planted on north facing slopes in the peaks of the Alpilles mountain range to deter sun exposure, and along with equal parts Syrah, the wines of Domaine de Trévallon drew major attention to the Beaux en Provence region. Fast forward to 1993, as the Beaux-en-Provence region was being granted an AOC status, the legislation called for a maximum of 20% Cabernet Sauvignon to be used in red wine production. Rather than comply, the estate continued to make a 50/50 Cab-Syrah blend and were forced into accepting the lesser table wine status. This is a case where the estate is more recognizable than the AOC. Trévallon wines are amongst the most prestigious in all of Provence, and have recently enjoyed a minor victory against the AOC when they were allowed to use the geographical identifier Alpilles IGP which you find on labels to this day.
THE COLOR PURPLE
In order to create purple, a painter must combine a strong warm color (red) with a strong cool color (blue), the color thus retains both warm and cool properties. I would apply this retention of warm and cool properties in describing the wines of Provence as well. Purple is a rare occurring color in nature, yet it is in abundance throughout the region. Perhaps it is that color that has allured and inspired so many. Whether it is through art, cooking or winemaking, Provence has that magical power of attraction. It is no surprise that this influential terroir can also be captured inside the bottle. Compared to other wine regions of similar class and quality, Provençal wines do not command extravagant prices and are more accessible to experience. Its wines simply exist to make sure your soul's alright.
