Natural Wine from Provence
A Mediterranean vineyard between sea, mountains and mistral wind
The vineyards of Provence cover 29,000 ha which extend along 200km on the Mediterranean rim, through the departments of Var, Bouches-du-Rhône and part of the Alpes-Maritimes.
Surrounded by the Sainte-Victoire mountain, the Sainte-Baume massif, the Maures massif and the Esterel massif, the terroir is divided into two geological groups:
To the west and north there are scrublands with limestone soils, while to the south and east there is crystalline scrubland composed of schists and granites. Neither of these two types of vegetation can provide significant humus inputs. As a general rule, the soils of wine-growing Provence are therefore poor but well drained. The other important fact of this vineyard is none other than its Mediterranean climate: sunny, dry and hot in summer, with relatively mild winters on the coast thanks to the proximity of the sea, this vineyard benefits from a very important plus , the Mistral. This “corridor” wind which dries up potential humidity and cleanses the vineyard is a fundamental element of the Provençal vineyard.
A diversity of grape varieties and natural expressions
Here the grape varieties worked are the same as for the Rhône and Languedoc regions, the famous “holy trinity” of GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) to which is added Carignan and Cinsault for red wines (with sometimes grape varieties natives such as Tibouren, inherited from Roman times, or even Braquet or Brachet…). For white wines, we remain in the same logic with Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne but this time we add Rolle (also called Vermentino), Ugni Blanc, a productive grape variety which resists strong sunshine, and Clairette, among others…
A land of natural rosés, between delicacy and structure
Although particularly recognized as a region producing rosé wines. The natural rosé cuvée “L'Accent” from the Clos de L'Ours estate is a perfect example: a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan worked biodynamically, without chemical inputs or addition of S02, giving us to taste a pulpy natural rosé wine, full-bodied with floral aromas leaving a smoky finish with spicy accents.
Red wines for aging among the greatest natural wines of the South
Provence is no less a region producing very great natural red wines, the wines of Domaine Hauvette are the best example!
In fact, Dominique Hauvette has been working his vines biodynamically in Saint-Rémy de Provence for more than twenty years with very small yields. It thus offers us vintages always endowed with a beautiful spicy structure combined with the minerality of its terroir.
This results in great vintages of natural wines with fairly obvious aging potential. For example, its Cornaline cuvée: powerful, distinguished and balanced from a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet-Sauvignon. or its great Améthyste cuvée where Cinsault, Grenache and Carignan come together naturally around an aromatic that reminds us of the scrubland and its freshness.
Discreet but remarkable whites
Finally, Provence also knows how to amaze us with its natural white wines, to taste one of the particular grape varieties of this wine-growing region: Rolle or Vermentino: which gives us a pleasant, well-balanced, fatty white wine with a slight tension on the finish, with aromas of hawthorn and white-fleshed fruits.
To discover a wider selection of natural wines from Provence, visit Vinograf.
