Top 20 of wines from Languedoc, Roussillon, Provence and Corsica

After Loire and Rhône rankings, let’s discover how the South of France is doing, with these wonderful wines full of sunshine!  A brief summary of the most expensive wines sold at auction during the first half of 2017 with the top 20 of Languedoc wines and of Roussillon, the top 15 of Provence, and the top 5 of Corsican wines.

Languedoc

As the region’s leader, Domaine de la Grange des Pères now benefits from a worldwide catchment. Its owner, Laurent Vaillé, works according to biodynamic principles, without being certified. If the red cuvée is always sought after in auctions, it is the rare white wine (Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier blend) which ranks first with 2013 vintage auctioned €216. Another famous name is Mas Daumas Gassac, created by Aimé Guibert, an iconoclastic winemaker, who chose to plant Bordeaux grape varieties in a terroir of which he had identified the high potential. Although, he died in 2016 at the age of 91, he left an irreplaceable stain on the terroir and its wines. His 2001 vintage sold for €108, ranking 3rd. Moreover, Marlène Soria figures among the strong personalities from Languedoc. She first created a cuvée, to be shared with her relatives, until Robert Parker fell for it. Her cuvée Clos des Cistes, a great success in the superb 1998 vintage – reference year for Languedoc wines – reached €104 at the iDealwine auction in April (#4). Finally, Château de la Négly ranks 2nd, with one of its treasures: “La Porte du Ciel” cuvée – a wonderful Syrah wine, complemented by 30% Grenache-produced only in a few thousands of bottles. This rarity was auctioned €120 in 2002 vintage.

Roussillon

Unsurprisingly, the flagship cuvée from Clos des Fées hits the headlines: La Petite Sibérie auctioned at €318 in 2003 vintage, last April. This cuvée made from black Grenache, with a very, very long ageing potential, comes from a tiny terroir of 1.16 hectares marked by extreme weather conditions due to 200 days of freezing wind per year, hence its name (in English, the small Siberia). Another renowned domain of ​​the region is Mas Amiel, with its almost immortal fortified wines. The cuvée Réserve Spéciale 1970 went under the hammer for €156 during the first half of 2017. You’ll find also several other renowned names like Domaine Gauby with its cuvée La Muntada 2007 auctioned at €90 (#3), Olivier Pithon (#5), Mas Blanc (#6), Bila-Haut (#7) and Rectorie (#14). Finally, Jérôme Malet who recently threw in the towel has now made the wines from Domaine Sarda-Mallet (#9) a collector’s item.

Provence

Let’s see the top 15 wines from Provence. The first cuvée is a UFO: Domaine de Trévallon. A relatively new domain (first vintage being 1976) with a vineyard equally planted in Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Not certified AOC Baux-de-Provence, this wine labeled as simple “Vin de pays” (country wine) from the Bouches-du-Rhône region is popular in mature vintages. That’s why the 2000 vintage was auctioned €145 last January. Two other mature wines reached €100 at auction: Domaine Tempier Cabassaou 2001 – historic property from Bandol appellation – a powerfully aromatic wine, 95% Mourvèdre, and Château de Pibarnon 1985, from the same appellation auctioned €102. Bandol claims the lion’s share with 9 out of 15 cuvées in this ranking. Only two white wines are on the list and they are absolutely delicious: Château Simone, one of the best French white wines, ranking 4th with its 2007 vintage sold for €61 and Château de Bellet Baron G (#14), a more confidential domain, threatened by the real estate speculation.

Corsica

The five most expensive cuvées from this region come from the greatest Corsican vineyards: the patrimonio from Antoine Arena – charismatic figure of Corsican viticulture – leading the ranking, with his biodynamic red cuvée in 2001 vintage auctioned €60. The only white wine of this TOP 5 is Biancu Gentile from Yves Leccia (#4), undoubtable blue chip for this region.

 

Top 20 of Languedoc wines

# Lot Format Wine Vintage Hammer price Buyer’s country
1 1 Bottle IGP Pays d’Hérault Grange des Pères 2013 €216 FRANCE
2 1 Bottle Coteaux du Languedoc Château de la Négly La Porte du Ciel 2002 €120 FRANCE
3 1 Bottle IGP Pays d’Hérault Mas Daumas Gassac 2001 €108 FRANCE
4 3 Bottle Coteaux du Languedoc Peyre Rose Clos des Cistes 1998 €104 FRANCE
5 1 Bottle Faugères Valinière Domaine Léon Barral 1999 €66 SINGAPORE
6 1 Bottle Coteaux du Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac Mas Jullien 2005 €59 FRANCE
7 6 Bottle Coteaux du Languedoc Pic Saint-Loup Clos Marie Les Glorieuses 2006 €52 FRANCE
8 1 Bottle Coteaux du Languedoc Terrasses du Larzac Domaine de Montcalmès 2005 €48 FRANCE
9 1 Bottle Coteaux du Languedoc Ermitage du Pic Saint-Loup 1997 €43 FRANCE
10 1 Bottle IGP Pays du Gard (VDP du Gard) Roc d’Anglade 2005 €40 FRANCE
11 1 Bottle Faugères Les Bastides d’Alquier 2000 €40 FRANCE
12 2 Bottle Coteaux du Languedoc La Bergerie de l’Hortus Domaine de l’Hortus 2000 €36 France
13 1 Bottle Coteaux du Languedoc Le mas de l’écriture 1999 €36 FRANCE
14 1 Magnum Pézenas Languedoc Domaine des Aurelles 1998 €68 FRANCE
15 1 Bottle Coteaux du Languedoc Prieuré de St Jean de Bébian 2001 €34 ESPAGNE
16 1 Bottle Coteaux du Languedoc Domaine de la Terrasse d’Elise 2005 €34 FRANCE
17 1 Bottle Coteaux du Languedoc Montpeyroux Domaine Alain Chabanon  L’Esprit de Font Caude 1998 €34 USA
18 1 Bottle Coteaux du Languedoc Château Puech-Haut  Clos du Pic 2001 €34 FRANCE
19 1 Bottle Coteaux du Languedoc  Montpeyroux Domaine d’Aupilhac 1999 €30 FRANCE
20 1 Bottle Fitou Domaine Bertrand Berge Cuvée Jean Sirven 2009 €30 FRANCE

 

Top 20 of Roussillon wines

# Lot Format Wine Vintage Hammer price Buyer’s country
1 2 Bottle Côtes du Roussillon Clos des Fées La Petite Sibérie 2003 €318 RUSSIA
2 1 Bottle Maury Mas Amiel 1970 €156 BELGIUM
3 2 Bottle Côtes du Roussillon Domaine Gauby La Muntada 2007 €90 FRANCE
4 1 Bottle IGP Côtes Catalanes Clos du Rouge Gorge L’Ubac 2005 €60 ITALY
5 2 Bottle IGP Côtes Catalanes Olivier Pithon La D18 2005 €51 LUXEMBOURG
6 1 Bottle Banyuls Domaine du Mas Blanc Hors d’Age 1991 €37 FRANCE
7 1 Bottle Banyuls Cave De L’Etoile Grand Cru 1988 €32 FRANCE
8 3 Bottle Rivesaltes Gérard Bertrand Grande Réserve 1982 €32 GERMANY
9 1 Bottle Côtes du Roussillon Sardat-Malet Terroir de Mailloles 1998 €31 FRANCE
10 1 Bottle Côtes du Roussillon Domaine de Bila-Haut V.I.T Chapoutier 2008 €30 FRANCE
11 1 Bottle Banyuls Domaine Boucabeille Cuvée Régis 1989 €30 FRANCE
12 1 Bottle Rivesaltes SCV Passa 1977 €29 BELGIUM
13 1 Bottle Banyuls Terre des Templiers 2004 €29 CROATIA
14 1 Bottle Collioure Domaine de La Rectorie L’Argile 2014 €25 FRANCE
15 1 Bottle Côtes du Roussillon Domaine de l’horizon 2010 €24 FRANCE
16 2 Bottle IGP Côtes Catalanes Domaine Matassa Romanissa 2010 €22 FRANCE
17 1 Bottle Banyuls Vial Magneres 1988 €22 FRANCE
18 1 Bottle Banyuls Clos de Paulilles 1994 €22 FRANCE
19 2 Bottle Rivesaltes Domaine Cazes Vintage 1989 €20 FRANCE
20 2 Bottle Collioure Domaine Madeloc Cuvée Serral 2004 €18 FRANCE

 

Top 15 of Provence wines

# Lot Format Wine Vintage Hammer price Buyer’s country
1 1 Bottle Bouches du Rhône Domaine de Trévallon 2000 €145 FRANCE
2 1 Bottle Bandol Tempier Cuvée Cabassaou 2001 €144 FRANCE
3 1 Bottle Bandol Château de Pibarnon Comte de Saint-Victor 1985 €102 FRANCE
4 1 Bottle Palette Château Simone 2007 €61 FRANCE
5 1 Magnum Bandol Château Pradeaux 1995 €54 FRANCE
6 6 Bottle Bandol Château Vannières 1990 €48 HONG KONG
7 1 Bottle Bandol Le Galantin 1978 €44 FRANCE
8 2 Magnum Côtes de Provence Château Romanin Cœur de Romanin 2003 €37 FRANCE
9 1 Bottle Bandol Domaine Gaussen 1995 €37 FRANCE
10 4 Bottle Bandol Domaine de Terrebrune 2009 €35 FRANCE
11 2 Bottle Bandol Domaine Lafrand Veyrolle Cuvée spéciale 2005 €30 FRANCE
12 2 Bottle Baux de Provence Clos Milan Henri Milan 2003 €28 FRANCE
13 2 Bottle Bouches du Rhône Château Revelette Le Grand Rouge 2007 €25 FRANCE
14 2 Bottle Bellet Château de Bellet Baron G 1996 €24 USA
15 1 Magnum Bandol Domaine de la Bastide Cuvée Fontaneou 2011 €23 FRANCE

 

Top 5 of Corsican wines

# Lot Format Wine Vintage Hammer price Buyer’s country
1 3 Bottle Patrimonio Grotte di Sole Antoine Arena 2001 €60 USA
2 4 Bottle Figari Clos Canarelli 2000 €55 FRANCE
3 1 Bottle Ajaccio Domaine U Stiliccionu 2013 €40 FRANCE
4 2 Bottle Vin de Corse Bianco Gentile Yves Leccia 2012 €26 FRANCE
5 1 Bottle Ajaccio Comte Peraldi 2006 €24 FRANCE

 

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