Southeast France
Two months ago we explored wines of the Adriatic Sea. Vineyards established ~3,000 years ago by Greek colonizers and traders up and down the Adriatic coastline. This month, we move west with those same Greek traders as they follow Phoenecian merchants across the Mediterranean in search of local trading partners willing to part with their precious metals for olive oil, dyes, and wine from Greece, Anatolia, and the Near East.
The Phoenicians tended to stay on the African coast and up into Spain while the Greeks followed the Italian coastline, stopping off in Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica before ultimately ending up in France and parts of Spain. It was on the French Mediterranean coast that the Greek’s established towns though, with Marseilles being the oldest contiguous French city in existence today, with a likely founding date of ~600 BC. It would be here and the other small trading ports dotting the coastline that proper viticulture was first introduced to France, now the world’s preeminent wine-producing country. This month we explore Southeastern France, including the winemaking regions of Provence, Languedoc, and the Southern Rhone.
Felines Jourdan
Picpoul de Pinet 2021
Producer Profile
Owned and operated by Claude Jourdan, Felines Jourdan is comprised of three vineyards on or overlooking the Mediterranean. All three of these vineyards are dedicated to the picpoul grape, an ancient French varietal rarely seen outside of this corner of the country. Similar to wines like Txakoli and Vinho Verde, this is a wine made to be drunk and enjoyed young.
Tasting Notes
Tart apple and lemon dominate with secondary aromas of chamomile and white flowers. Dry, with mouthwateringly high acidity and a very light body are signature characteristics for this style of wine.
Pairing Suggestions
Anything water-based! Pair it with seafood, fish, boat-rides, lazy rivers, water-balloon fights, you choose! A perfect wine to end the summer with.
| The region: Languedoc, France |
The style: White |
The grapes: Picpoul |
Domaine Gassier
Lou Coucardie Blanc 2016
Producer Profile
Domaine Gassier is the winemaking estate of Michael and Tina Gassier. Michael, who considers himself a ‘peasant-researcher’, has been working this ancestral plot of family land in the Costieres-de-Nimes for three decades. Always exploring new methods to get the most out of their organically farmed parcels, the Gassiers make a multitude of cuvees in many styles from the wealth of varietals native to the Southern Rhone Valley.
Tasting Notes
Showing it’s age, this white blend is a deep golden color in the glass. Heavy florality, honeycomb, spices and a touch of vanilla on the nose. Rich stone fruit on the palate are complimented nicely by the oak aromas and florality from the nose. Lower on acid and full-bodied with lovely structure from the bottle-aging.
Pairing Suggestions
Sharp cheeses and cured meats or most all pork dishes would be perfect pairings with this heavier white wine.
| The region: Costieres-de-Niemes, Southern Rhone |
The style: White, Organic, Oaked |
The grapes: Roussanne, Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Clairette |
Chateau de Trinquevedel
Tavel Rosé 2022
Producer Profile
Hailing from Tavel (the only all-Rosé AOC in France), Guillame and Celine Demoulin farm 32 hectares in the rolling hills outside of Avignon overlooking the Rhone River just before it descends into the Mediterranean. Their vineyards were purchased by Guiullame’s great-grandfather in 1936, the year Tavel became an AOC and the family have been the sole farmers and vintners ever since. The Demoulin’s have recently converted to fully organic and they’re able to achieve incredible ripeness in their fruit, having almost identical terroir and growing conditions to Chateneuf-du-Pape, located just across the river.
Tasting Notes
A rich, intoxicating rosé with fruit notes in abundance. Strawberry, cherry, and watermelon are plussed-up with a touch of spiciness and depth from the grenache. One of my favorite rosé’s this year.
Pairing Suggestions
For something on the lighter side, salads featuring fresh fruit. This is a rosé with enough oomph to pair with mains though, think aromatic chicken dishes, Mexican cuisine, or Southeast Asia.
| The region: Tavel, Southern Rhone |
The style: Rosé, Organic |
The grapes: Grenache, Clairette, Syrah, Cinsault |
Domaine le Galantin
Bandol Rouge 2018
Producer Profile
This wine has roots closest to those described in the introduction. Located just outside Marseille, on the road to Toulon, with vineyards hanging over the coastline of the Mediterranean, le Galantin is one of the most picturesque vineyards in all of France and was likely planted with grapes as early as 600 BC. 30 hectares of vineyards are farmed by Celine Pascale, with help from her brother, Jerome. In a region known only for its mass-production rose’s, producing beautiful red and white wines is a task only for those with serious commitment to caring for sometimes treacherous, sloped terrain needed to produce quality wine in this area. Farmed organically and biodynamically and with minimal intervention in the winemaking process, Celine crafts elegant wines of great structure and aging potential.
Tasting Notes
Very intense. More than any wine we’ve had in our wine club bags this past year, this is a wine that demands decanting, aging, or correct food-pairing. The fruit profile is rich, with black cherry, blueberry, and some brambly raspberry. There’s a touch of licorice, toast, and spice from the oak aging. Structurally the tannin is extremely high and there’s moderate-plus acidity. To tone the tannin down decant very well or store this one away for 5-10 years. We revisited it the following day and it was drinking much smoother with 24 hours to open up.
Pairing Suggestions
The fattiest, juiciest red meat you can find. Like higher-end Cabernet, Nebbiolo, or Sangiovese, a wine of this nature loves fatty food. The tannin, aggressive on its own, will cut through fat and greatly increase the flavor of both wine and meat. While there’s a big asterisk with this wine, I do really love it and think it’s an awesome example of the potential for high-quality, ageable wines at an excellent price from this part of France.
| The region: Bandol, Provence |
The style: Red, Organic, Biodynamic |
The grapes: Mourvedre, Grenache |