The land

Provence covers the Mediterranean coast of France from the Rhône delta east to the Italian border. The climate is hot, dry, and sunny — Provence produces some of the most reliably ripe grapes in France, with a typical drought of three to four months between rain events. The soils are a complex mix: limestone in the inland hills, clay-limestone in the coastal zones, schist in Bandol, granite-and-mica in the Maures massif. The mistral wind blows hard down the Rhône valley and tempers the heat.

The appellations

Côtes de Provence AOP — the largest, accounts for two-thirds of all Provence wine, almost all of it rosé. Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence AOP — similar to Côtes de Provence but slightly cooler and more diverse. Coteaux Varois en Provence AOP — inland, higher-elevation, slightly fresher styles. Bandol AOP — the prestigious seven-village appellation, Mourvèdre-led reds and serious rosés. Cassis AOP — a tiny white-wine appellation on the coast east of Marseille. Bellet AOP — the small Nice-area appellation.

Style of the wines

Rosé dominates: bone-dry, pale salmon to onion-skin in color, light to medium-bodied, with strawberry, white peach, citrus, and Mediterranean herb (garrigue). Bandol Rosé in particular is a serious wine and ages five to ten years. Bandol reds — Mourvèdre-dominant — are dark, structured, age-worthy and one of the great reds of France. Whites from Cassis and Bellet are tiny in volume but worth seeking.

Vintages to know

2020 — outstanding for Bandol red. 2019 — exceptional. 2018 — generous. 2015 — superb. For rosé, vintage matters less than freshness — drink the most recent.

Producers we know

Bandol: Domaine Tempier (the historic reference), Château de Pibarnon, Château Pradeaux, Domaine de la Bégude, Domaine de Terrebrune. Côtes de Provence/Coteaux d’Aix: Domaines Ott, Château Sainte Roseline, Château Romanin (biodynamic), Domaine de Trévallon (technically IGP but a serious red). Cassis: Clos Sainte Magdeleine.