Côtes de Provence Rosé, Clos de l'Ours 2023

Close to the natural wonder of the Gorges du Verdon, the Côte d’Azur and near the lovely village of Cotignac you will find this 13-hectare estate, surrounded by pine, cypress and oak trees.

Centuries ago the Knights Templar farmed here and today Fabienne and Michel Broton farm the same land organically. Though their history here is rather shorter than the Templars (they bought the estate in 2012 in a complete lifestyle change once their children had flown the nest) they have fallen in love with the land.

The climate here is one of warm days but cool nights, ideal for ripening grapes without losing freshness as the nigh-time temperatures help the fruit retain acidity. Regular winds keep humidity, and therefore fungal problems, at bay. They plough between the vines, manure organically and use no chemicals at all, even using sheep to keep the grass and weeds beneath the vines under control.

Syrah, grenache, mourvèdre, carignan, cinsault, rolle and clairette are all grown, the latter two for white wines, and the couple work hard in the vineyard to ensure that only the best fruit reaches the cellar, hand-picking into small baskets to protect the bunches. Grapes for rosé wines are gently pressed and only the first part of the pressing is used, fermented naturally at controlled temperatures to protect the natural aromatics and flavours.