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.
On our shelves
Wines in the catalogue that match this entry by region or country.