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The Quintessential Provençal Refresher
The Quintessential Provençal Refresher
by Anthony Lynch by Anthony Lynch
2021 Côtes de Provence Rosé
2021 Côtes de Provence Rosé
Le Liouquet, La Ciotat
Clos Sainte Magdeleine France | Provence | Côtes de Provence
Blanc has always been the focus since we began importing Clos Sainte Magdeleine’s wines in the late 1970s, with their fennel- and sea-salt-inflected Cassis setting the standard for Mediterranean whites. But vigneron Jonathan Sack also bottles a Cassis rosé each year, a delicate expression of mainly Grenache and Cinsault that is, sadly, made in tiny quantities.
As of recently, there is a brand new rosé in the Clos Sainte Magdeleine lineup. The Côtes de Provence is sourced from a vineyard in La Ciotat, about halfway between Cassis and Bandol and not far from the Mediterranean coast. Using a similar blend to the Cassis rosé, Sack has crafted what is perhaps the quintessential Provençal refresher—an uplifting nectar of bright citrus, fresh berry fruit, wild herbs, and salty sea air—that is a far cry from the countless technological, mass-marketed examples in production throughout the region.
No, Sack’s bears a distinct sense of place, and it's someplace we all want to be: under the sun, by the sea, glass in hand, a bowl of briny olives within reach. Monsieur, a refill, s’il vous plaît!
Le Liouquet, La Ciotat
Wine Type: | Rosé |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 35% Grenache, 35% Cinsault, 20% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah |
Appellation: | Côtes de Provence |
Country: | France |
Region: | Provence |
Producer: | Clos Sainte Magdeleine |
Winemaker: | Jonathan Sack |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1979-1999 (30 years average), 4.5 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region
2022 Bouches-du-Rhône Blanc “Baume Noire”
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It is a seafood lover’s dream wine.
2020 Cassis Blanc “Bel-Arme”
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With a touch of creaminess following the crisp stone fruit, it’s a Mediterranean white in a cashmere sweater.
2022 Méditerranée Blanc
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A 50/50 assemblage of Ugni Blanc and Vermentino, the two varieties meld together to create a white that breaks the mold entirely for what we’ve come to expect from this magical stretch of Provençal coastline.
2022 Cassis Blanc
France | Provence
May Chevalier ~ A blend of Ugni blanc, Claudette, Marsanne, and Sauvignon blanc, here is the wine to enhance seafood and shellfish.
2022 Côtes de Provence Rosé
France | Provence
The quintessential Provençal refresher—a nectar of bright citrus, fresh berry fruit, wild herbs, and salty sea air.
2022 Bandol Blanc
France | Provence
This mineral blend has an ethereal perfume, reminiscent of blossoming flowers with a hint of fennel.
2022 Bouches-du-Rhône Rosé “Marie de Magdala”
France | Provence
This sandstone amphora-aged rosé spotlights old-vine Grenache grown on limestone terraces with a view of the sparkling Mediterranean.
2021 Cassis Blanc “Bel-Arme”
France | Provence
With a touch of creaminess following the crisp stone fruit, it’s a Mediterranean white in a cashmere sweater.
2019 Bandol Rouge Magnum
France | Provence
With the chewy, fragrant cuvée, something garlicky cooked over coals will do just fine.
2021 Côtes de Provence “Blanc de Blancs”
France | Provence
This gorgeous blend of Vermentino, Ugni Blanc, Sémillon, and Clairette is both fleshy and mineral-driven.
About The Producer
Clos Sainte Magdeleine
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
2020 Bandol Rouge
“La Migoua”
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2021 Côtes de Provence “Blanc de Blancs”
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2022 Méditerranée Blanc
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2020 Bandol Rouge
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2020 Bandol Rouge
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2016 Les Baux de Provence Rouge “Cornaline”
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2022 Bandol Rosé
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2020 Bandol Rouge
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2018 Alpilles Rouge “Amethyste”
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2018 Côtes de Provence Rouge
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2018 Bandol Rouge
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2020 Alpilles Rouge “Amethyste”
Domaine Hauvette France | Provence
2020 Bandol Rouge
“La Migoua”
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2021 Côtes de Provence “Blanc de Blancs”
Clos Saint-Joseph France | Provence
2022 Méditerranée Blanc
Clos Sainte Magdeleine France | Provence
2020 Bandol Rouge
Domaine de la Tour du Bon France | Provence
2020 Bandol Rouge
Domaine du Gros ’Noré France | Provence
2016 Les Baux de Provence Rouge “Cornaline”
Domaine Hauvette France | Provence
2022 Bandol Rosé
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2020 Bandol Rouge
“La Tourtine”
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2018 Alpilles Rouge “Amethyste”
Domaine Hauvette France | Provence
2018 Côtes de Provence Rouge
Clos Saint-Joseph France | Provence
2018 Bandol Rouge
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2020 Alpilles Rouge “Amethyste”
Domaine Hauvette France | Provence
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
Let the brett nerds retire into protective bubbles, and whenever they thirst for wine it can be passed in to them through a sterile filter. Those of us on the outside can continue to enjoy complex, natural, living wines.
Inspiring Thirst, page 236