Hill towns capture the imagination and inspire travel, and Provençal villages situated around the Dentelles de Montmirail are no exception. These villages anchor gem wine regions of France’s Southern Rhône Valley, distinct cru defined by their own names: Beaumes-de-Venise, Cairanne, Gigondas and Vacqueyras.
Offering the natural, rugged side of the south of France, the Dentelles de Montmirail are a lacy, jagged skyline caused by prehistoric geological upset to Jurassic limestone. Ancient villages cling to the mountains and vineyards are planted along the terraced slopes and the hem of the range.
Beaumes-de-Venise
This commune looks as if it’s carved into the hill and it’s actually named for the many troglodyte caves (or baumes) established in the rock. The historic Notre Dame d’Aubune chapel crowns the village, a flâneur‘s paradise of flower-lined streets and decorative doors. The local wine co-ops, Vignerons de Beaumes de Venise and their partner Rhonéa, are some of my favorite in France — well worth visiting or at least finding a bottle to enjoy at home.
Famous for deep red wines as well as the distinct South-of-France dessert wine known as vin doux naturel, specifically Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, this spot is a haven for grenache and syrah. Within the appellation, there are three terroirs based on geological makeup: Terres Blanches de Bel Air, Terres Grises des Farisiens and Terres Ocres du Trias (white, grey and yellow).
Beaumes-de-Venise wines to try:
- Domaine de la Ferme Saint-Martin Beaumes-de-Venise Les Terres Jaunes is representative of the local terroir, based on grenache with an element of syrah. Named for the chalky, yellow soils of the Trias era.
- Domaine de Fenouillet Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise is one of the most delicious muscat wines I’ve ever tasted, an elevation of dessert wine into savory succulence.
Cairanne
Cairanne represents the most recent cru designation, an achievement recognized in 2016. Vineyards are planted on south- or west-facing slopes, taking advantage of the sun while realizing the benefits of the Mistral wind, famous in Provence for an ability to dry out disease and mildew (and to make people crazy with its strength, but that’s another story). The village of Cairanne has a fortified past and antiquities have been restored by recent generations, including the old Saint Martin’s Church which was refurbished and aptly renamed in the 1960′s: Notre Dame de la Vigne et du Rosaire (Our Lady of the Vine and Rosary).
Vignerons Nick and Sabine Thomson run Domaine l’Ameillaud, where they’ve made wine for decades. They also manage a charming guest house on the property. “We are approaching the northern limits for maturing the grenache, carignan and mourvèdre,” says Nick Thompson. “A northern limit often makes for more complex qualities.”
Cairanne wines to try:
- Domaine des Escaravailles Cairanne Le Ventabren 2015 is a blend of old-vine grenache, syrah and carignan from vineyards that are plowed “the old way” and treated organically. Also try the domaine’s “La Ponce” Rasteau 2015.
- Domaine de l’Ameillaud Cairanne 2016 comes from vines on the l’Ameillaud property with an average age of 45 years, a blend of grenache, syrah, carignan and mourvèdre.
Gigondas
Gigondas is a crowd-favorite, a charming nest of careful stone streets lined by artful homes with flower-packed boxes. On my most recent visit, the place had been yarn-bombed and by this, I mean decorated with stunning knitted “outfits” over light posts, bike racks, trees… it’s this constant sense of detail, of playful quality, that makes Gigondas a dream. Don’t miss a meal at L’Oustalet, a joint offering from the acclaimed Perrin family and chef Laurent Deconinck, which many a gourmand has pronounced their favorite place to eat in Provence.
And that’s just the village. The wines are top-notch, grown on stone terraces and red clay vineyards of primarily grenache, syrah and mourvèdre. Don’t expect any carignan here — it’s banned due to previous overuse generations ago. In the ancient cellars of Château de Saint-Cosme, a family domaine with a continuous history dating back to the Middle Ages, I found a little secret about Gigondas. Tacked to the mold-covered wall was a faded wooden crest with the word jocunditas ribboned above it. The Romans used this word for happiness, and it’s the namesake for Gigondas.
Gigondas wines to try:
- Domaine La Bouïssière Gigondas 2015 is an excellent expression of the great vintage of 2015. A blend of grenache and syrah from vines with an average age of 51 years. Proprietor and second-generation vigneron Thierry Faravel told me that making “wine is a lifestyle of humility” — a quote to keep.
- Gabriel Meffre Domaine de Longue Toque Gigondas 2015 is comprised of grenache and syrah grown on some of the steepest terrace elevations along the Dentelles de Montmirail.
Vacqueyras
My “desert island” wine may very well be a Vacqueyras. Full-bodied and elegant from a variety of soils in a range of mostly red wines with a touch of rosé and white. Situated between Gigondas and Beaumes-de-Venise, the terroir here offers distinction enough to offer its own brand of balanced freshness. For over a decade, Vacqueyras has been the official cru of the Avignon Festival, one of the most meaningful performing arts events in all of France. To maintain a particular level of quality, production rules are strict — the yield limits are some of the lowest in all of France.
Evocative of ancient days, the circular town of Vacqueyras has passages available only on foot as well as a fortified château and bell-towered church. Houses of yellow stone are tucked within the sheltering ring. An old grape press hangs around in town and a sundial from the 1940′s reads in Latin, “It’s later than you think.”
Vacqueyras wines to try:
- Arnoux et Fils Vieux Clocher Vacqueyras 2015 is a classic red blend of grenache, syrah and mourvèdre from a domaine passed “from father to son since 1717.”
- Pierre Amadieu La Grangelière Vacqueyras 2015 comes from a producer with roots in Gigondas that extend into Vacqueyras to produce this fruit-forward and smooth wine. Look on the bottle for the in-relief shield of the village name, a fixture on Vacqueyras bottles since the French Revolution.
