2022 Cassis Blanc
Clos Ste Magdeleine
Clos Sainte Magdeleine
Kermit Lynch, François Sack, Jonathan Sack, and Anthony Lynch
It exists because once upon a time long ago the population of Cassis, a simple fishing village, needed something to drink with their catch, or seafood as we call it.
Wow! We sold out of our Catch of the Day Cassis Blanc quicker than we thought. We want to ensure everyone has an opportunity to stock up on the incredible wines of Clos Sainte Magdeleine, so with our apologies we are offering 25% OFF the delectably versatile Côtes de Provence Rosé. It is just as delightful with seafood as the Cassis, and will make a wonderful match with Chris Lee’s grilled whole fish recipe from the newsletter insert! Click here and use promo code CASSIS25 at checkout.
Sometimes I feel underappreciated because some people think my life is one big vacation. They don’t realize the effort it can take to obtain a decent bottle of wine. Yesterday, for example, I had to spend practically the entire day at Cassis. It is not like I can just taste the wine, agree on a price, and go home. No, I had to drive down to the harbor with the winemaker, jump from the pier onto his bobbing boat and motor out onto the Mediterranean, scene of countless shipwrecks. The sun’s heat was blazing. I tried not to think of ozone depletion, sunburn, skin cancer... we had no choice but to jump into the cooling sea. Luckily I had on a bathing suit. Just as I was about to dive in, I noticed a school of inch-long jellyfish floating by. Their sting can momentarily paralyze you and leave you in pain for days. I wondered, is it really worth it? We motored out to safer waters and, finally, almost faint from heat prostration, I plunged into the cool blue water, a blue so beautiful I could barely stand it.
But still it was not over. Back at the domaine with its panoramic view of the cliffs and beaches of Cassis, I had to shelter myself under a tree and wait until the fire was ready for grilling a few local fish. Once grilled, we washed it down with some Cassis. (Of course. What do you think, a winemaker is going to serve me any wine other than his or her own? I told you this job is no vacation.) But sitting there I finally got something accomplished. I was working it out in my mind: fish, Cassis, wine, Cassis wine, fish, fishing, etc., and all of a sudden it came to me. The white wine of Cassis was not invented to be shipped all over the world. It exists because once upon a time long ago the population of Cassis, a simple fishing village, needed something to drink with their catch, or seafood as we call it. I thought to myself, why not recommend to my clientele that the next time they eat seafood, they drink a wine created to drink with it, Cassis. It works. —Kermit Lynch, on the 1996 Cassis Blanc from Clos Sainte Magdeleine
—Kermit Lynch
| Wine Type: | white |
| Vintage: | 2022 |
| Bottle Size: | 750mL |
| Blend: | 40% Marsanne, 30% Ugni blanc, 25% Clairette, 5% Bourboulenc |
| Appellation: | Cassis |
| Country: | France |
| Region: | Provence |
| Producer: | Clos Sainte Magdeleine |
| Winemaker: | Jonathan Sack |
| Vineyard: | Planted in 1972-2009 (40 years average), 9 ha |
| Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
| Aging: | Aged in stainless steel tanks and two 500-L demi-muids on fine lees until spring or early summer bottling |
| Farming: | Organic (certified) |
| Alcohol: | 13% |
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About The Producer
Clos Sainte Magdeleine
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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Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.