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 Terre
de Vins - Hors série Vins de
Provence
Summer 2000
Envoûtante
Sainte
Victoire
At the foot of
this majestic mountain immortalized by Paul Cézanne, was born the
vineyard of Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire, whose 3,000 hectares
strech in a chain from the l’Aurélien and l’Olympe to the hills
of Pourrières.
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This unique terroir of marl and
clayey sandstone produces excellent wines. The high Vallée de l’Arc
dominated by Sainte-Victoire, includes 28 estates and cooperatives,
grouped into 7 villages. To the east, lie Pourrières and Pourcieux.
To the south, lie Trets and Peynier, in the center
Châteauneuf-le-Rouge and Rousset, and to the north, Puyloubier, the
nearest to Sainte-Victoire, a long spine of white calcareous rock
which extends over 15 kilometers and reaches up to more than a 1,000
meters. The climate here is particulary favored, thanks to the
mountain which provides a shield from the harsh Mistral wind. The
sunny location, the weak rainfall, and the sharp drop in temperature
between day and night give to the wines of Sainte-Victoire a unique
caracter. The unusual Côtes de Provence wines represent about 15 % of
the appellation’s total production. Without putting on your seven
league boots, the seven wine making towns of the area can be crossed
in a weekend. We note the celebrated Château Coussin Sainte Victoire,
of the no less illustrious Sumeire Family, whose reputation for fine
wines is second to none. |
