Provincial Powerhouse

Provence is known for its extremely varied landscape, its gusty “Mistral” winds and its hot, sunny and dry climate which give the region’s wines their unique character known throughout the world.

This magnificent region is geographically unique and beautiful from its sunburned crust fanning out along the Mediterranean coast, it stretches north along the Rhone valley. The Romans were here in force and left many ruins. Several Popes, great artists such as van Gogh and Cezanne and author Peter Mayle all enjoyed their years in Provence. The region offers an exquisite blend of arid climate, oceans of vineyards, dramatic scenery, captivating cities and quaint little hill towns and, for many, the highlight of the region is its fine wines. Located between the Mediterranean and the Alps, Provence’s vineyards extend West to East over approximately 120 miles primarily in the French areas of the Var, Bouches –du-Rhone and in the Alpes-Maritimes. There are three main appellations in the region (representing 96% of the volume of wines with Provence appellations), the Cote de Provence, the Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, the Coteaux Varois-en-Provence and the specific denominations of the Cotes de Provence Sainte-Victoire, Cotes de Provence Frejus and Cote de Provence La Londe “terroirs.” Each year over 600 winemakers and over 70 negociants produce around 170 million bottles (88% rose, 9% red and 3% white) over a total land area of 27,000 hectares. Provence represents about 7% of French A.O.C. production of all types of wines and is France’s largest producer of A.O.C. rose wines. The region is recognized historically as a producer of rose wines that are pale, fruity and full bodied but they also produce red wines which are powerful and structured along with delicate whites known for their lightness and subtlety.

Provence also has the status of being the oldest winegrowing region in France. When you taste wine from Provence, remember that here is a lot of history in each bottle. Beginning in the 2nd Century B.C., the Romans began settling the lands of the LIguirians which were colonized four centuries earlier by the Phocaeans. They developed the first vineyards in the region and founded Provence. It was in these days that the military port of Frejus was established. As the Roman Empire expanded so did the growing number of vineyards in the conquered lands including other regions of Gaul : the Rhone Valley, Beaujolais, Burgundy, Gascony and Bordeaux. After the fall of the Roman Empire, it was not until the High Middle Ages that vineyards would once again begin to flourish in Provence, this time under the influence of the major monastic orders. Most of these wines were sold to fill the coffers of the monastic establishments. Beginning in the 14th century, the most important noble families, royal subjects and top officers from the Royal Army would acquire and oversee many vineyards in Provence which established the foundation for modern wine production in the region.

A large percentage of the overall soil makeup in Provence’s wine growing areas are poor and well drained but often susceptible to erosion. The shallow fields with no excess humidity are perfectly adapted to the Mediterranean grape vine. Sun exposure is the most apparent characteristic of the climate with around 2800 hours of sunshine a year. The summers are particularly hot but the diversity of the mountainous terrain results in high variations over short distances. As is mostly the case with Mediterranean climates, Provence receives most of their rainfall during Autumn and Springtime. The many different winds are an integral part of the climate and, of course, the most well known is the Mistral. Icy cold in the winter after it has sped across the Alpine snows, it can also be refreshing during the long hot summer months. The Mistral wind does have one noteworthy quality that is important for Provence’s vineyards because it is extremely dry protecting the vines from diseases that could be caused by excess humidity.

Provence wines are extreme values and are also the perfect Autumn season wines which pair well with the rustic, country cuisine of game and fowl. One of my current favorite Provence producers is Domaine de Triennes whose portfolio is one of the best in the area.

In the late 1980s, Jacques Seysses, the founder of Domaine Dujac, and Aubert de Villaine, co-owner of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, started searching for a vineyard in the south of France. They were driven by the conviction that some great wines could be produced in the Var. As Jacques explains it: “I started thinking of buying a vineyard outside of Burgundy when vineyard prices soared in the mid 1980s, making it almost impossible to operate expecting a return on the investment. I was interested in going to an area where the benchmark had yet to be set and where I could experiment with other grape varieties.” Aubert was interested in joining as a silent partner and a good friend from Paris, Michel Macaux, wanted to invest both time and money into the venture. After extensive vineyard research, at the end of 1989, they came upon the Domaine du Logis-de-Nans, an existing estate in Provence northeast of Marseille and due east of Aix-en-Provence. The vineyard was poorly managed and there was only a very basic winery. Furthermore, the 46 hectare vineyard was mostly planted with Ugni Blanc, Cinsault and Carignan. What caught their attention was the slope itself. They were attracted by the southern exposure of the vineyards and the clay and limestone soils which, in some areas, resembled the great terroirs of Burgundy and, in other places, the top coteaux of Saint-Emilion. Most vines in this area are planted on valley floors in deep soils but here the entire estate was ’plein coteux’ on a south facing slope, rich in limestone and with a low content of organic matter which was too poor for agriculture but excellent for viticulture. The estate, which showed evidence of settlement from Etruscan times, spreads between altitudes of 420 to 450 meters above sea level and lies on a gently sloping hillside between the mountain ranges of Monts Aurelian and Sainte Baume which guarantees cool nights and a long growing season which is very conducive to good acidities and complexity. Core soil samples were taken and analyzed in Burgundy before the purchase to confirm the site’s potential. The estate was renamed Domaine de Triennes after the triennia which are festivities celebrated in the honor of Bacchus taking place every three years in Roman times. The ‘tri’ part of the name now reflects the three original partners.

The veteran winemakers at Domaine de Triennes fashion five different well conceived and well made bottlings including a Viognier, a Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend and a Cinsault Rose.