Notify me
2020 Côtes de Provence Syrah “Les Planches de la Garedivole”
Clos Saint-Joseph

A pure Syrah, vinified with whole clusters and aged eighteen months in demi-muids. Dense and chewy, with floral notes and gravelly tannins, it is one of the great Syrahs of the south. Give it time to breathe, or better yet, tuck it away for a few years before indulging.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 98% Syrah, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon |
Appellation: | Côtes de Provence |
Country: | France |
Region: | Provence |
Producer: | Clos Saint-Joseph |
Vineyard: | .5 ha, 20 years average |
Soil: | Clay, limestone |
Farming: | Biodynamic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region

2018 Alpilles Rouge “Amethyste”
France | Provence
Cinsault raised in concrete egg: all about finesse.

2014 Bandol Rouge
France | Provence
The inky purple juice staining your tongue as you wash down a garlicky morsel of rosemary-studded lamb tastes not unlike it did shortly after the grapes were crushed and racked into Alain’s large oak casks.

2021 Côtes de Provence “Blanc de Blancs”
France | Provence
November Club Chevalier ~ This gorgeous blend of Vermentino, Ugni Blanc, Sémillon, and Clairette is both fleshy and mineral driven.

2020 Côtes de Provence Rouge
France | Provence
Contrary to the usual rough and tannic reds of the far-reaching Côtes de Provence appellation, this is fresh and lively! A gem hidden in the hills.

2018 Côtes de Provence Rouge
France | Provence
Contrary to the usual rough and tannic reds of the far-reaching Côtes de Provence appellation, this is fresh and lively! A gem hidden in the hills.

2021 Alpes-Maritimes Grassenc “Les Planches de Lunel”
France | Provence
It’s a very rare and special wine, best served chilled, that I will be savoring throughout summer and beyond.

2022 Côtes de Provence Rosé
France | Provence
This rosé is a result of respectful farming and low-intervention winemaking, our dream combo.

2021 Bandol Rouge“La Migoua”
France | Provence
At the domaine's highest-elevation site, Mourvèdre's might is gently enveloped by Grenache and Cinsault to yield a Bandol of great finesse.

Les Baux de Provence Olive Oil “Les Baux”
France | Provence
This is the staff-favorite olive oil you'll find in the breakroom at our Berkeley shop. Savor it with dishes that allow its lavish flavors to shine.

2021 Bandol Rouge “Lulu et Lucien”
France | Provence
As Kermit wrote, “there is always something wild and unpredictable about it, spirited, shall we say, yet it is honest and impeccable, full of warmth and finesse.”

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
Perhaps there is no region more closely aligned with the history to Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant than Provence. Provence is where Richard Olney, an American ex-pat and friend of Alice Waters, lived, and introduced Kermit to the great producers of Provence, most importantly Domaine Tempier of Bandol. Kermit also spends upwards of half his year at his home in a small town just outside of Bandol.
Vitis vinifera first arrived in France via Provence, landing in the modern day port city of Marseille in the 6th century BC. The influence of terroir on Provençal wines goes well beyond soil types. The herbs from the pervasive scrubland, often referred to as garrigue, as well as the mistral—a cold, drying wind from the northwest that helps keep the vines free of disease—play a significant role in the final quality of the grapes. Two more elements—the seemingly ever-present sun and cooling saline breezes from the Mediterranean—lend their hand in creating a long growing season that result in grapes that are ripe but with good acidity.
Rosé is arguably the most well known type of wine from Provence, but the red wines, particularly from Bandol, possess a great depth of character and ability to age. The white wines of Cassis and Bandol offer complexity and ideal pairings for the sea-influenced cuisine. Mourvèdre reigns king for red grapes, and similar to the Languedoc and Rhône, Grenache, Cinsault, Marsanne, Clairette, Rolle, Ugni Blanc among many other grape varieties are planted.
More from Provence or France
2021 Alpes-Maritimes Grassenc “Les Planches de Lunel”
Clos Saint-Joseph France | Provence
2020 Alpilles Rouge “Amethyste”
Domaine Hauvette France | Provence
2016 Les Baux de Provence Rouge “Cornaline”
Domaine Hauvette France | Provence
Les Baux de Provence Olive Oil “Les Baux”
Moulin Jean-Marie Cornille France | Provence
2018 Bandol Rouge MAGNUM
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2022 Côtes de Provence Rosé
Sainte Magdeleine France | Provence
2021 Bandol Rouge “Lulu et Lucien”
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2018 Bandol Rouge
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2019 Bandol Rouge Magnum
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2022 Côtes de Provence Rosé
Clos Saint-Joseph France | Provence
2021 Bandol Blanc
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2016 Alpilles Blanc “Dolia”
Domaine Hauvette France | Provence
2021 Alpes-Maritimes Grassenc “Les Planches de Lunel”
Clos Saint-Joseph France | Provence
2020 Alpilles Rouge “Amethyste”
Domaine Hauvette France | Provence
2016 Les Baux de Provence Rouge “Cornaline”
Domaine Hauvette France | Provence
Les Baux de Provence Olive Oil “Les Baux”
Moulin Jean-Marie Cornille France | Provence
2018 Bandol Rouge MAGNUM
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2022 Côtes de Provence Rosé
Sainte Magdeleine France | Provence
2021 Bandol Rouge “Lulu et Lucien”
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2018 Bandol Rouge
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2019 Bandol Rouge Magnum
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2022 Côtes de Provence Rosé
Clos Saint-Joseph France | Provence
2021 Bandol Blanc
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2016 Alpilles Blanc “Dolia”
Domaine Hauvette France | Provence
Vintage Chart Mentality

Vintage Chart Mentality
Trust the great winemakers, trust the great vineyards. Your wine merchant might even be trustworthy. In the long run, that vintage strip may be the least important guide to quality on your bottle of wine.—Kermit Lynch