Provence Wine
Côtes de Provence
The Côtes de Provence is a large wine region that covers over 85 communes in the eastern region of Provence. The boundaries of the region extend from the alpine hills near Draguignan to the coast of Saint Tropez. The noncontiguous parts of the reach includes land southeast of the Palette AOC and on the outskirts of the Bandol and Cassis wine regions. In the mountainous terrain near Villars-sur-Var in the northeast part of the reach continues vineyards that can label their wine as Côtes de Provence. The region accounts for nearly 75% of all the wine production in Provence with the vast majority of that production being rosé wine (nearly 80%). While the number is rising, about 15% of wine production is red wine with the remaining 5% white. The main grape varieties of the region is Carignan, Cinsaut, Grenache, Mourvedre and Tibouren with the use of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah increasing. To improve quality, producers are limiting the amount of Carignan used in their rosé and red wine production, putting a maximum of 40% permitted in the wine and mandating that at least 60% of the blend be composed of Grenache, Cinsaut, Mourvedre and Tibouren. There is also an AOC requirement that at least 20% of the rosé blend must come from wine made using the saignée method of maceration.
In recent years, there has been more experimentation in the elevage (winemaking methods) used with a new generation of winemakers beginning to incorporate non-traditional methods of rosé production including the use oak barrels for aging and fermentation. There has begun a renewed focus in white wine production with more winemakers using temperature controlled tanks that allow a cooler fermentation process that is better suited to white wine production. There are still remnants of traditional winemaking in the Côtes de Provence and some producers still use the traditional packaging of their wine in the distinctive wine bottle known as a skittle which has a shape that is between an amphora vessel and a bowling pin.
Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence and Les Baux-de-Provence
The Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence is the second largest Provençal wine region, covering over 50 communes in the west and northwestern regions of Provence. The main village of the region is the historical town of Aix-en-Provence. Nearly 60% of the wine production here is red wine, followed by 35% rosé and 5% white wine production. The major grape varieties of this region include Grenache, Cinsaut and Mourvedre.Cabernet Sauvignon was introduced to the region in the 1960s by Georges Brunet of Château Vignelaure. The cuttings came from Brunet’s Bordeaux estate of Château La Lagune.The main white wine grapes of the Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence include Rhône like Bourboulenc, Clairette and Grenache blanc as Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc and Semillon.[3] Some producers will make a white nouveau wine (young wine) that is released in December, following the harvest and only a short time after the release of Beaujolais nouveau. Though unlike the red Beaujolais wine, these Provençal white wines are not required to have the words nouveau or primeur on the label.
Within the Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence is the smaller Les Baux-de-Provence region which was granted AOC status in 1995. The climate of the region is very hot with the surrounding valley known as the Val d’Enfer (Valley of Hell).Vineyards are centered around the hilltop village of Les Baux-de-Provence and are dominated by red wine grape varieties (nearly 80%). There is very little white wine production with the remaining production being dry rosé. The leading grape varieties of this region are Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah.[4] AOC requirements dictate that no two grapes can compose more than 90% of the blend with Carignan, Cinsaut and Counoise permitted but at a maximize usage of 30%. The use of Cabernet Sauvignon is growing in prevalence but it limited to composing no more than 20% of the blend. The rosés of Les Baux-de-Provence are composed of a minimum 60% of Cinsaut, Grenache and Syrah with similar requirement as the AOC red wine that no two grapes varieties composed more than 90% of the blend.[2] The Les Baux-de-Provence AOC was the first French wine region to regulate that all vineyards be farmed biodynamically. The move came after most vineyard owners had already converted to organic viticulture, eliminating the use of chemicals that could easily spread from the vines due to the strong mistral winds.
Bandol
The Bandol wine region, located near the coast east of Marseille and Cassis, is one of Provence’s most internationally recognized wine regions. Based around the fishing village of Bandol, west of Toulon, the Bandol AOC covers the production of 8 communes with silicon & limestone soils. Those soils and the warm, coastal climate is ideally suited for the late ripening Mourvedre grape which is the major variety of the region. For both the red and rosé wines, Mourvedre must account for at least 50% of the blend, though most producers will use significantly more, with Grenache & Cinsaut usually filling out the rest of the wine’s composition. Syrah and Carignan are restricted in Bandol to no composing no more than 15% of the blend or 10% individually. Nearly 70% of the region’s production is red wine with rosé wine filling out the rest of Bandol’s production accompanied by a small amount of white production. Red Bandol wine is characterized by its dark colour with rich flavors of black fruit, vanilla and cinnamon that usually require at least 10 years of ageing before they fully develop. Though examples are made that can be approachable in three years. Prior to release, the wine is required to spend at least 18 months aging in oak. The white wines of Bandol are composed primarily of Clairette, Bourboulenc and Ugni blanc. Previously Sauvignon blanc was used but it is not prohibited from the AOC wines. The rosés of Bandol are characterized by spicy and earthy flavours that can resemble the Rhône rosés from Tavel AOC, with some having strawberry notes.
Bandol is the only French wine region that is dominated by the Mourvedre grape, which performs differently depending on the particular terroir of the region. The soils in the northwest region, from the communes of La Brûlat to Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, the soil is composed of small pebbles and produces lighter, more delicate wines. On the red clay soil that is scattered throughout the region, the wine produced is very tannic and must be tempered with increased blending of Cinsaut and Grenache. The Grenache grape itself, is typically planted on cooler north facing slopes to prevent the grape from over ripening and making the wine highly alcoholic. The relative infertility of the soil throughout the region helps to keep yields low with the Bandol region having some the lowest yields throughout France. The use of mechanical harvesting is prohibited throughout the region but its use is impractical due to the style of terracing used on the hillsides throughout the region.
Cassis
The Cassis AOC, located along the coast between Marseilles and Bandol, is unique among Provençal wine region with over 75% of its production being white wine. The soil of this region is primarily limestone which serves well the major white grapes of the area - Clairette, Marsanne, Ugni blanc and Sauvignon blanc. The dry white wines produced in this area are characterized by their full bodies, low acidity and herbal aromas that pair well with the local seafood cuisine like bouillabaisse. In recent years, local consumption has outpaced supply and limited the amount of Cassis wine that could be exported out of France. Local laws are being developed in the region to protect vineyards from being overrun with commercial and residential development from the city of Marseilles.
In decades past, the vineyard owners of this sparsely populated region would hire prostitutes from Marseilles to assist with picking grapes at harvest.
Coteaux Varois
The Coteaux Varois AOC covers the central region of Provence, in the Var département from where the region’s name is derived, between the Côtes de Provence and Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence AOCs. The region is partially sheltered by the surrounding Sainte-Baume mountains which have tempering effect on the Mediterranean influences that is common throughout Provence. This is most evident in the vineyards around Brignoles where the cooler climate pushes harvest till early November several weeks after most Provençal wine region have harvested in early September. This unique terroir has encouraged interest from Burgundy wine producers like Louis Latour to experiment with planting Pinot noir. The region started out as a vin de pays till it was upgraded to Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS) status in 1985, followed by AOC status in 1993. Over 60% of the region’s production is rosé with around 33% red wine production and small amount of white wine production. The leading grape varieties of the region are Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsaut, Mourvedre, Syrah and Carignan.