Introducing Murielle Claudel’s newest partnership with a biodynamic Mediterranean gem nestled in the Ventoux AOP
https://www.vignobles-coquillade.com/en/
A few hours’ drive from the idyllic hills and iconic seaside towns of the Côte d’Azur is the Luberon – the rugged, rural, real heart of Provence. This is quotidian, agrarian, unadorned Provence; wild, garrigue covered hills, interspersed with farms, vineyards and villages illuminated by the same incomparable light that’s driven artists to both inspiration and insanity. It’s the kind of place one goes for both reflection and a reality check, somewhere you might go when you’re looking to escape, a special spot not yet on the world’s “bucket list” of get-aways.
For those seeking new frontiers in soulful, vibrant wines infused with character and a sense of place, the Luberon, and neighboring Ventoux regions are outstanding sources of “best thing you’ve never heard of” wines. They’re among a burgeoning number of places that are home to the nouvelle vague of up-and-coming wineries from previously unknown or overlooked regions, who are characterized by a progressive commitment to environmentally engaged farming and cellar practices, and a respect for regional cultural traditions and an authentic thread of terroir. Sitting astride both the Ventoux and Luberon AOPs, Domaine de la Coquillade is a rising star on this scene, representing a fresh chapter in the estate’s centuries of history. Behind this renaissance is a commitment to growing wines that are uncompromising expressions of the spirit, terroir and soul of this inimitable and untamed location.
The first historical mentions of the site date back to the 11th century, when Cistercian monks of the Notre – Dame de Sénanque Abbey established the heart of a traditional Provençal village. Two centuries later, the first vinifera vines were planted, and a long winemaking tradition was launched. Fast-forward seven centuries, when new proprietor Andy Rihs, smitten by Provence, began a transformation of the existing hotel into a luxury refuge, and its vineyards and winery into a source of top-quality, world-class wines, both bearing the name Aureto. In 2018 Andy’s sons Oliver and Tobias took charge of the domain, with a fresh, long –term goal: perpetuate and evolve the family heritage on a durable trajectory of sustainability. Taking the name of the ambitious Coquillade (couquihado in Provencale dialect, crested lark in English), a fresh vision for the domain was launched. This is not a project that will be measured in years – but in generations!
The transformation of both vineyard and winery from conventional farming is revolutionary (and for traditionalists of the region, nothing short of radical). Working with renowned oenologist and viticulturalist Frank John, the vineyards have been converted to biodynamic practices, with synergistic techniques employed in the cellar. Vineyards and surrounding flora and fauna are considered holistically, with a special emphasis on soil health and support of vital microorganisms.Long term replanting eschews clonal selections in favor of massal selection, with the aim of propagating vines more adaptable to and expressive of the environment. The synergies in the vineyard continue in the cellar, with spontaneous fermentations. Vineyard practices that ensure healthy grapes rich in nutrients ensure that any added nutrients or interventions are unnecessary, with malolactic fermentations also occurring spontaneously. Fermentations are accomplished in amphorae, barrel or concrete.
And the wines? Like the enchanting weave of flora, fauna, sun, wind, rain and soil that harmonize in a chorus of the place they’re from, they’re singularly of an inimitable piece of the earth. They’re neither grandiose, nor bombastic – they don’t need to be. They’re not luxury wines, in the traditional sense; not plush exhibitions of opulence or extravagance, they have the lyrical touch of a melody played on a fine acoustic instrument, they resonate.
As Terry Theise once said, they don’t demand your attention, they reward it.
The motif isn’t as much Matisse’s or Baudelaire’s Luxe, calme et volupté, as it is any of the iterations of Cézanne’s Mont Ste. Victoire. Not so much an escape to a tranquil refuge, as the reality in an instant’s epiphany – the subtleties of a unique place, at a never-to-be-repeated moment in time.