Cuvee Carolle
2007
14% alc.
AOC Cotes de Provence, Fr.
If one drives into the small village of Puget-Ville, located off Rte. 97 about 30 miles north of Toulon, he will be greeted by a sign that names itself as “Capital du Bon Vin.” Puget-Ville is in the Golden Triangle of the Cotes de Provence where sea, mountains and sun (let’s not forget fun, although that would make a quadrilateral) meet to create a perfect terroir for viticulture. In the summer the “ponant” wind blows southwest from the mountains to cool the vineyards from the hottest days of the year; in winter, winds from the Mediterranean Sea come from the southeast to inhibit frost in late winter and spring. “Sauveuse,” meaning “savior,”is a devotional name for the spring in the Lower Alps that sustains the domaine in an agricultural area fraught with drought in times past. Today, development poses a greater threat to Provencale viticulture than any drought or pestilence could visit. Dom. de la Sauveuse practices organic grape-growing and controls its yields to about 35 hl per ha. It produces reds from cinsault, mourvedre, grenache, syrah, carignan and cabernet sauvignon. There is one rose and two styles of whites from rolle and ugni blanc grapes.
The white wine I had, the 2007 “Cuvee Carolle,” is 85 percent rolle (better known as vermentino) and 15 percent ugni blanc. It is fermented and aged 5 months in barrels. The color is pale gold with aromas of orange, lavender, flowers and anise. This wine is dry; yet I detected an attractive touch of honied sweetness mid-palate. The crisp acidity gave way to pronounced rounded flavors of stone, pear, lemon and anise with a pleasant viscous mouthfeel and a slight herbal finish. This is a lovely wine, with alcohol so well-integrated that I was surprised to learn it was 14 percent. Presumably, the citizens of Puget-Ville had this wine in mind in considering their town the capital of good wine. Importer: Vintage Trading, Inc. Retail: $18.00. 11/17.
