Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Blanc 2021

Domaine Houchart makes a splash with the 2021 Côtes de Provence Blanc, a vivacious white wine made from traditional Provencal grapes. In this rare Provencal white, one can almost taste the Provencal sun, feel the cool sea breeze wafting from the Mediterranean Sea, and smell the scented fragrance of Provence’s magical landscape. Like its predecessors, it is light, fresh, juicy, and packed with energy. It offers an inviting bouquet of citrus, mango, orchard fruits, and pear. In the mouth, the wine’s lovely fruit aromas re-emerge enlivened by crisp acidity and a gentle minerality. Add a touch of salinity from the sea and the 2021 Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Blanc finishes with pinpoint precision and mouth-watering vivacity. No smoke or mirrors, oak or butter tones, just one fresh white wine from Provence’s Clairette (75%) and Rolle (25%) grape varieties. For optimal enjoyment, we suggest serving the classic 2021 Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Blanc moderately chilled (40°-45° F) now and often. Anticipated maturity: 2023-2024. Enjoy!

The 2021 Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Blanc recalls the sunny, light-filled beauty of Provence. Whether you sip this wine on a hot summer day, a lovely autumn evening, or a dreary cold winter night, the 2021 Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Blanc captures the spirit of Provence and enlivens the senses. Some will want to sip and savor this wine on its own, while others simply can’t wait to bring it to the table. Seafood, sushi, tapas, flatbreads, and white pizzas make splendid companions to this special Côtes de Provence Blanc. A traditional Provençal Grande Salade, a colorful and healthy mélange of organic greens, crumbled goat cheese, walnuts, and fresh anchovies or whatever else is in season is a perennial favorite. Stir fries and curries also provide tasty pairings. Cheese soufflés and tarts made with eggplant and squash provide traditional accompaniments to the 2021 Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Blanc. Chicken with a light Satay sauce makes another tasty companion to this wine, but then so do most cow, goat and sheep’s milk cheeses in the company of freshly picked summer fruits. 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 approximately 200 acres, and it is now part of the Quiot family, the proprietors of the renowned Domaine Vieux Lazaret in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and other celebrated Rhône and Ventoux estates. It came to the Quiots through Geneviève, the wife of the late 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, a formidable task at which she has excelled. Today, by all accounts Domaine Houchart ranks among the most beautiful and successful Provencal wine estates. Currently, Geneviève’s children Jean-Baptiste and Florence run the estate and carry on her work.

Red and rosé wine, the latter a Provencal staple, dominate Domaine Houchart’s production. Traditional Provencal varietals proliferate with Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Carignan leading the charge for the red and rosé wines. However, a small quantity of a special white wine known as Côtes de Provence Blanc (this month’s feature) is also produced at Domaine Houchart from Clairette and Rolle grapes, two traditional Provencal varietals, which make splendid mouthwatering white wine to complement the local cuisine. Rolle, also known as Vermentino, is also indigenous to the nearby Italian Riviera, Liguria, and coastal Tuscany. We invite you to taste and feel the beauty of Provence in every sip of Domaine Houchart’s classic Côtes de Provence Blanc.