Cotes de Provence
Côtes de Provence Wines - Buy Wine from the Côtes de Provence Region of France
Domaine Richeaume enjoys a stunning location with a backdrop of the Mont Sainte Victoire, 15 kilometres east of Aix-en-Provence. This pioneering organic estate was the brain-child of German expatriate Henning Hoesch who moved here in 1972 and began experimenting with blends of Bordelais and Mediterranean grape varieties. Henning also built a state of the art winery with a flat, water-insulated roof, surrounded by striking modern sculptures that looks more Californian than Provençal. Today the estate has 24 hectares under vine with over twice that area again given over to mixed farming including cereals, olive groves and a herd of sheep which provides ample organic compost for the vines. In 1997 Henning was joined by his son Sylvain who has a questing outlook and has undertaken research studies at Penfolds in the Barossa valley and at Ridge Vineyards in Santa Cruz, California. It was at Ridge that Sylvain got to know celebrated wine maker Paul Draper who has been a major influence on his wine-making philosophy and remains a mentor.
Domaine Richeaume may lack the cachet of an elite appellation but, make no mistake, this is a forward-looking winery producing highly distinctive wines of incredible purity and finesse. The Hoeschs’ wines are indubitably Provençal; wild herb and garrigue berry notes evoke a strong sense of their rocky, arid terroir but there is a sophisticated hand in the cellar that gives a glossy, elegant sheen in a subtle nod to New World know how.
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