Head towards Roquefort-la-Bédoule, only five kilometres from Cassis, and you’ll uncover one of Provence’s hidden treasures, Château de Roquefort. Let your next vinous discovery be the whites, rosés and reds of this sublime domaine.
No doubt you’ve already heard us rave about the famous Cuvée Corail from Château de Roquefort, one of our great revelations in recent years in both quality and price and a now firm favourite amongst the iDealwine team. But there is more to this domaine than rosé and its origins tell a delightful tale.
During the Celtic Greek period, rear-guard fortifications were erected to protect the port towns of Cassis and Marseille from invasion. When the Romans came, and successfully invaded, they baptised these fortifications as “Rocca Fortis”, which evolved to the name Roquefort that we know it as today. During the Middle-Ages the land was owned by the court of Provence then the bishop of Marseille. Finally, in 1812, it was bought by the Earl of Gardanne, the ancestor of the current owners, the Villeneuve family.
In its present incarnation, this magnificent domaine spans 24 hectares and the vines, planted on clay and limestone rich soils, have an average age of 40 years. The domaine cultivates many grape varieties native to the Provence region such as Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan AND Cinsault for the reds and Clairette, Rolle and Ugni Blanc for the whites. The domaine’s strength lies in its microclimate: proximity to the sea keeps and the high altitude means the vines stay cool. The grapes ripen slowly which gives the wines great aromatic depth.
Raimond de Villeneuve is the current manager of the estate. The domaine practices organic agriculture (with ECOCERT certification) and the soil is worked without the use of any inputs (fertilisers etc) . There is an adventurous spirit at Château de Roquefort and many of their cuvées are blends of the various grape varieties they cultivate, blends that are sometimes not recognised by the local appellation and are thus labelled as VDP (Vin de Pays) or IGP (Indication Géographique Protegée).
The wines of Château de Roquefort
Côtes de Provence Château de Roquefort Corail Rosé
An iDealwine favourite! This rosé comes from vines grown on limestone rich soil at 400 metres altitude. Fruit forward but fresh and flavourful, this is a wonderful blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan and Rolle. This last variety gives the rosé a vinous personality. Enjoy with seafood, red mullet or squid.
Côtes de Provence Château de Roquefort Les Genêts White
Les Genêts is a cuvée made from Rolle planted on a cold limestone and flint fich terroir. With a northern exposure facing the mountains, this parcel produces wines with wonderful acidity. The nose offers aromas of aniseed and white fruit while the mouth is flavourful and spiced with a sapid finish.
Côtes de Provence château de Roquefort Les Mûres
A cuvée made from a superb blend of Grenache (40%), Carignan (30%), Syrah (20%) and Cinsault (10%) that is matured in foudres and demi-muids. A flavourful wine at an excellent price that comes highly recommended.
