DOMAINE TOUR CAMPANETS Provence

Situated between Aix-en-Provence and the Luberon mountains, Domaine Tour Campanets lies on an ancient site that archaeological evidence suggests has known the vine since Roman times. Comprising 60 hectares of forest and 28 hectares of vines, the geology is a crystalline mix of shale, flint, rhyolite and Cretaceous limestone overlaid by red and white clays on undulating land that rises to 324 metres. The estate, with its established vineyard which includes a plot of Syrah planted in 1947, and what was at the time of its construction in the 1960s a unique gravity-fed vinification tower, was bought by lawyer-turned-vigneronne Emmanuelle Baude in 2012. She made the immediate decision to convert to organic viticulture, as she puts it ‘to turn technology to the service of nature’ rather than the reverse, and the estate has been certified under the ECOCERT label since 2015. The entire viticultural and winemaking team here is young, and the enthusiasm and focus are palpable.

The Coteaux d’Aix en Provence Rosé is a blend of Grenache and Syrah in roughly 70 to 30% proportions. Just 3 hours of skin contact give it a lovely pale rosé colour, and it combines vividly fresh wild strawberry, peach and mineral aromatics, with a dry, juicily fruity palate, and a long finish.