Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Blanc 2017

Domaine Houchart’s 2017 Côtes de Provence Blanc embodies the best of Provence. In this rare white wine made from traditional Provençal grapes one can almost taste the Provençal sun, feel the cool breeze wafting from the Mediterranean Sea, and smell the scented fragrance of Provence’s magical landscape. Light, fresh, but full of flavor and pinpoint precision, the 2017 Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Blanc offers an intoxicating aroma of citrus, mango and white peach. In the mouth, the wine’s crisp orange peel and spice flavors appear on a sea of delicate acidity, making the wine’s delightful finish both round and refreshing. Domaine Houchart’s delicious 2017 Côtes de Provence Blanc brought a host of smiles to our tasting panel and made us all beg for more. No smoke and mirrors, oak, or butter tones here, just one fresh, unique white wine. For optimal enjoyment, drink this rare white Provençal classic moderately chilled (40° F) now and over the next year. Enjoy!

Whether it is a hot summer day or a dreary cold winter night, the 2017 Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Blanc recalls the sunny, light-filled beauty of Provence. This is a wine to sip and savor, with or without accompaniments. We enjoyed this wine with food and without a morsel, yet seafood, sushi, tapas, and white pizzas make splendid companions to this special Côtes de Provence Blanc. A favorite Provençal accompaniment would be a grand salad of organic greens, crumbled goat cheese, and whatever is in season or freshly caught from the nearby sea. Cheese soufflés and tarts made with eggplant and squash provide more tasty pairings with the 2017 Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Blanc. Chicken with a light Satay sauce makes another tasty companion. Bon Appétit!

The history of Domaine Houchart dates back centuries to the French Revolution, while the cultivation of the vine around this domaine at the base of Mont Saint Victoire can be traced back to antiquity. The modern estate owes much of its success to the energetic proprietor and negociant Aurelien Houchart, for whom the domaine is named. In the 1850s Aurelien expanded his family’s rural properties and later reconstituted the old vineyards on the site that had been destroyed by phylloxera. He also had a winery and cellar constructed there, so that among a patchwork of small family vineyards and wineries, Domaine Houchart became one of the largest domaines in Provence. It also served as a cultural center as Aurelian was friends with the famous painter Paul Cezanne, novelist Emile Zola, and other notable contemporaries.

Domaine Houchart remains today the largest wine estate in Provence with about 200 acres, and it is now part of the Quiot family, the proprietors of the renowned Domaine du Vieux Lazaret in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and other celebrated Rhône estates. It came to the Quiots through Geneviève, the wife of Jérôme Quiot, when she inherited part of the original domaine as a descendent of Aurelian Houchart. Beginning in the 1980s, Geneviève set about restoring the property to its former grandeur. She continues to work the property with her children Jean-Baptiste and Florence.

Red and rosé wine, the latter a Provençal staple, dominate Domaine Houchart’s production. Traditional Provençal varietals proliferate with Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Carignan leading the charge for the red and rosé wines. However, small quantities of special Côtes de Provence white wine (this month’s feature) are also produced at Domaine Houchart from the Clairette and Rolle grape varieties traditional to Provence. We invite you to taste and feel the beauty of Provence in Domaine Houchart’s classic Côtes de Provence Blanc.