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2015 Côtes de Provence Rouge
Clos Saint-Joseph
Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Cabernet Sauvignon up to ninety years old make up this cuvée. The alcohol clocks in at a very reasonable 13%—how about that for a Provençal red? Gamey notes mingle with velveteen dark fruit, the whole showing elegance and restraint. A limestoney freshness ensures great balance whether you choose to uncork it now or in a decade.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2015 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 50% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre, 15% Grenache, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% varied |
Appellation: | Côtes de Provence |
Country: | France |
Region: | Provence |
Producer: | Clos Saint-Joseph |
Winemaker: | Roch Sassi |
Vineyard: | 5-10 years, 30-40 years, and 90 years old, 2.5 ha |
Soil: | Clay, limestone |
Aging: | Aged in barriques and demi-muids for 12 months |
Farming: | Biodynamic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
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About The Producer
Clos Saint-Joseph
Roch Sassi of Clos Saint-Joseph (named for his great-grandfather) is the only grower to bottle any wine eked from these incredibly rocky slopes. His wines fall under the Côtes de Provence appellation, even though the much cooler terroir here has little relation to the rest of the AOC. Villars in fact represents an isolated enclave of Côtes de Provence that enjoys a unique microclimate, the dry heat buffered by cold air currents from the surrounding mountains. These conditions allow for full ripening at remarkably low alcohol levels, maintaining lively fruit and bright acidity in the wines.
About The Region
Provence
There is perhaps no region more closely aligned with the history of Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant than Provence. While Kermit began his career as a Burgundy specialist, he soon fell in love with Provence and its wines, notably the legendary Bandols of Domaine Tempier, which he began importing in 1977. He later began living in the area part-time, returning frequently between tasting trips, and today he spends most of his time at his home just outside of Bandol.
Provence is thought to be France’s most ancient wine region, established when Greek settlers landed in the modern-day port city of Marseille in the 6th century BC. The conditions here are ideal for cultivation of the grapevine, with a hot, dry climate and a prevalence of poor, rocky soils, primarily limestone-based, suitable for vines and not much else. The ever-present southern sunshine as well as the mistral, a cold, drying wind from the northwest that helps keep the vines free of disease, are crucial elements of Provençal terroir. Wild herbs from the pervasive scrubland, called garrigue, and cooling saline breezes from the Mediterranean also contribute to the quality and character of wines in all three colors.
Provence is well known for its rosés, but red wines have always held importance here. The very best, such as those from Bandol, possess great depth and a capacity for long-term aging. The white wines, notably those of Cassis, offer weight balanced by a maritime freshness, making them ideal pairings for the local seafood. Mourvèdre reigns king for red grapes, supported mainly by Grenache and Cinsault, while Clairette, Marsanne, Rolle, and Ugni Blanc are the region’s principal white grapes.
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2024 Bandol Rosé
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2020 Bandol Rouge
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2019 Les Baux de Provence Rouge “Cornaline”
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2022 Bandol Rouge “La Tourtine”
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2024 Bandol Rosé
Domaine de la Tour du Bon France | Provence
2017 Alpilles Blanc “Dolia”
Domaine Hauvette France | Provence
2023 Bouches-du-Rhône Blanc “Baume Noire”
Clos Sainte Magdeleine France | Provence
2024 Bandol Rosé
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2019 Bandol Rouge
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2024 Méditerranée Rouge “Terre d’Ombre”
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Where the newsletter started

Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch