2020 Domaine du Bagnol Cassis Blanc, Provence, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

Marsanne is the dominant grape variety (50%) complemented by Clairette Blanc (35%) and some Ugni Blanc (15%). The vineyards to produce the white wine at Bagnol cover a bit less than six hectares and are planted on a gentle slope of clay and limestone soil with a north–northwest exposure. After a manual harvest, the grapes are destemmed and pressed; the fermentation continues for three weeks in cement cuves at a temperature controlled 18 degrees Celsius; the wine is vinified completely dry. The malolactic fermentation is blocked to preserve the freshness of the wine and the wine is bottled between May and July of the following year.

Farming: Certified organic by Ecocert since 2014, practicing organic long before. Practicing Biodynamic. Treatments: Only copper sulfate is used to treat vines.

Ploughing: Annual ploughing, working of the soil by tractor

Soils: All three Cassis soils are represented at the domaine: red clay, marl, and Triassic limestone.

Vines: Head-trained vines, averaging over 40-years old, that are replanted on a vine-by-vine basis to maintain a healthy vineyard. All vines are planted from Massale selections.

Yields: Old vines naturally control yields, which are further supressed with debudding.

Harvest: Hand picking in the morning to ensure grapes arrive cool to the cellar, where they are sorted. Harvest runs from the end of August to mid-September, according to the moon

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Situated steps from the Mediterranean in the Provençal fishing village of Cassis, the Domaine du Bagnol controls 17 ha of vines (9 ha leased, 8 ha owned) beneath the imposing limestone outcropping of Cap Canaille. Thus situated, the Domaine du Bagnol is the beneficiary of cooling winds from the north, northwest, and northeast (Tramontane, Mistral and Grégal), along with the gentle sea breezes that come ashore, ensuring wines of freshness and balance. Rosenthal's love affair with this estate began in the early 1980s when they first met Claire Lefevre, with whom Rosenthal Wine Merchants worked until her passing in the early 1990s. So, the Domaine du Bagnol was sold, which, in fact, was fortunate for us, as the new owner, Jean-Louis Genovesi, a Cassis native who had departed for Paris and made his fame (and a few centimes as well), and his son, Sébastien, have revived the domaine and made the wines (blanc, rouge, and rosé) more compelling than ever