In a previous post, we talked a little bit Provence’s history and culture.  Then we introduced the three course dinner feature for the month of May that focuses on the culinary traditions of Provence.  Now let’s talk about everyone’s favorite part: wine!

Our wine director, Cyril Frechier, has selected two whites, two rosés, and two reds to offer by the glass, plus a rare bottle feature, to highlight the diversity of Provence’s wines.

The whites begin with the 2007 Domaine Sorin La Sergine, a mixture of rolle (also known as vermentino in Italy), semillon and ugni blanc.  The nose is nutty and rich, with peach, nectarine, yellow apple and floral notes.  To the taste it is dry with light acidity (provided by the ugni blanc), richness in the middle (provided by the semillon), and a medium-full body with flavors of bitter almond.  Although not advertised as such, it is a biodynamic wine.
The second white is the 2007 Commanderie de la Bargemone made from grenache blanc and ugni blanc.  Orange, lemon, apply, honey, melon,  and citrus peel make up the bouquet.  In contrast to the Sorin, the Bargemone is lighter with more citrus and more limestone, creating a more mineral profile with good length and a higher acidity.

One of my favorite rosés, the 2009 Sable d’Azur has lovely flavors of citrus, orange and unripe cherry.  The grenache, cinsault and syrah blend makes for a mineral, crisp, dry flavor with orange peel notes. Incredibly drinkable, this is served upstairs at Campagne restaurant by the glass as well.  It is my go-to patio rosé.
An equally beautiful bottle is the 2009 Domaine Sorin Terra Amata, a blend grenache and the Provençal mainstay varietal, mourvèdre.   Young strawberries and aromatics dance over light citrus notes on the nose.  The flavors are fuller, starting with peach pit and red fruit, finishing clean, fresh and mineral.

The reds are fantastic, too.  the 2005 Mas de la Dame La Gourmande is also biodynamic and is a 50-50 mix of grenache and syrah.  Here you smell baked plum, plum pie, cassis and a bit of woodsmoke, although the wine is not barreled.  The body is medium-full with moderate tannins and high acidity, creamy with dry notes of cocoa, chocolate, and even a bit of cinnamon.
The other red is deep and luscious, the 2005 Triennes is a mix of cabernet sauvignon, syrah and merlot, which is a little bit odd for Provence. Again the nose is that funky black fruit, cassis, cedar, black olive and hints of cherry.  The cabernet sauvignon provides great tannins to go with the chocolate, smoky flavor of the wine.

The Domaine Sorin Bandol, 80% mourvèdre is offered only by the bottle, but is well worth it.  Mourvèdre is another voluptious southern red that pairs disarmingly well with meat.  Those enticing flavors of a full bodied red that you’ve come to love are here in spades: leather, barnyard and animal notes with high tannins.

We hope that you get to come in to visit and taste the abundance of one of my favorite regions, Provence.

With May swinging in looking like summer will be fantastic, we’re turning our sights to Provence.

Chef Daisley Gordon has put together a great, three course menu that will run for the rest of the month.

First course:

Bagna Cauda, raw vegetables with a hot anchovy sauce

A classic, light first course.  The fresh vegetables will vary but in the picture are cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, fennel and celery.  The anchovy sauce is made from garlic warmed in olive oil, red wine vinegar and butter.  It adds a salty richness to the crisp vegetables that screams sunshine snack.

Second course:

Brandade de Morue, salt cod and potato purée, baked with garlic and olive oil and served with sautéed green beans and black olives.

Here we hollow out yellow potatoes and stuff them with the brandade, which actually has a little halibut in it as well! The green beans are sautéed with shallots, garlic and olive oil.  Although they’re missing from the picture, the olives add a wonderful contrast to the fluffy richness of the brandade.

Third course:

Navettes de la Chandeleur

Fruit sorbet and Marseilles cookies flavored with orange flower water.Pictured here is cantaloupe sorbet, although that will vary from week to week.  The Marseilles cookies are a little bit hard (since they are a yeasted cookie) and are not too sweet, off-setting the crispness of the fruit sorbet quite nicely.

Provence is a cheerful place, from the sun-drenched beaches of Cassis and Bandol to the color-saturated, windswept heartland, the landscape and laid back lifestyle bewitch the traveler. Summers are long and balmy, lazy days often spent on outdoor terraces under the cooling shade of coastal pines and café umbrellas. The cuisine is light, fresh and vibrant, washed down with wines to match.

A crossroads of civilization since before the Bronze Age, the Provence region has traded hands throughout the centuries from the early Greeks, the Romans, the Merovingians and the Carolingians before establishing itself as  in the 9th century as an independent state under the unfortunately named Boso of Provence.

Historically, Provence is arguably most famous for being the home of the Catholic Popes from 1309 until 1378 and the “anti-popes” during the Papal Schism of 1378-1418.  The Palais des Papes (Popes’ Palace) in Avignon is a prominent tourist destination and was the largest Gothic palace in Europe in the fourteenth century.  Joining French sovereignty in 1486 under Louis XI.

Culturally, Provence is a particularly rich region.  Seminal impressionist and post-impressionist artists found unique inspiration in the towns and countrysides of Nice, Aix-en-Provence, and others.   Paul Cézanne was born in Aix-en-Provence.  Henri Matisse and Auguste Renoir spent the last several decades of their lives in Nice and Cagnes-sur-mer, respectively.  Pablo Picasso graced the Côte d’Azure region every summer from 1919 until 1939 before finally settling in the region in 1946.  Even Vincent van Gogh lived there for a few years (1888-1890) and painted some of his most famous works, including “Cafe Terrace at Night” and “Self-portrait with bandaged ear.” It has been suggested that F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote much of The Great Gatsby and began Tender is the Night while visiting the French Riviera.

The Wine

The whites are typical blends of southern France varietals; bourboulenc; clairette; grenache blanc and vermentino whereas reds and rosés may be blends of grenache, mourvèdre, cinsault, syrah, counoise, carignan and cabernet sauvignon. The climate is distinctly Mediterranean; mild and wet winters followed by warm to hot, dry summers. The intense summer heat is mitigated by the powerful northerly Mistral wind and cooler coastal or hillside vineyard locations. Soils are varied, with limestone and schist toward the coast and sandstone and clay toward the interior. This diverse framework of grape varietal, geographical character, weather pattern and soil composition entrust the winemakers with a broad palette from which to express their region and style; from cheery, fruity and quaffing white, rosé and reds to full bodied, structured, firm and dry wines, the options are plenty and varied and rarely fail to convey the cheerfulness of Provence.

Santé.

Intrigued? Come join us for a special Provence dinner on Wednesday, May 19th!