Information

The Wine Region:

The entire Visan vignoble covers an area of 2060 hectares, 286 of which are classified as AOC Côtes du Rhône Villages. 2000 hectares contribute to the cave-coopérative Les Coteaux, the remainder being individual owned by 60 independent producers. Records show that the 35 hectares owned by the Domaine Coste Chaude have witnessed the cultivation of vines since the 16th Century.

Tasting notes:

Apart from a Cuvée-Spéciale for the USA market, production at la Coste Chaude centres on three distinctive wines.
Tradition
As its name implies, is a classic AOC Côtes du Rhône, combining Syrah and Grenache in an opulent, finely-balanced package. Designed to be drunk immediately, or kept for 3-4 years, the elegant tannins, even when young, support, rather than overpower the underlying fruitiness - in this case blackcurrant, plum and bilberry.
La Rocaille
Classified as an AOC Côtes du Rhône Villages Visan. The progeny of intentionally low-yield Grenache/Syrah vines from areas carefully selected for their specific qualities, this is a wine of great personality. Destined to partner red meats, it also has excellent potential for ageing.
l'Argentière
Another AOC Côtes du Rhône Villages Visan, but with a very different personality. Grenache, Syrah and Carignan produce an expansive, yet well-structured wine with a noticeably more intense ruby hue than that of its companions. There is oak, too - some twelve months'-worth in traditional barrels, in fact. The resulting flavours include red fruits, a little liquorice/spice plus, of course, more than a hint of vanilla. Tannins are also more pronounced, and the finish very satisfying. Man enough to partner game or highly-seasoned dishes, it's another one with ageing potential.

Contact details:

Domaine de Coste Chaude, 84820 VISAN, France
www.domaine-coste-chaude.com

Nectar of the Popes...

High on a hillside above Visan, between Pont St Esprit and Nyons, is an estate producing classic Provençal wines for both old and new generations of wine-lovers. Discover with us the Domaine Coste Chaude.

The name of Côtes du Rhône must be among the most familiar of all the great French wine territories, generally eclipsing its AOC offshoot, the idyllic-sounding Côtes du Rhône Villages. What is less widely-appreciated (despite Châteauneuf-du-Pape rather giving the game away) is the fact that much of the area was for many years the supreme European seat of Christianity, offering no fewer than ten Popes a more secure base than their traditional, but often perilous city of Rome. No doubt there were other attractive inducements, not least the great vineyards of la Provincia Roma (which eventually became Provence), established after the forces of Caesar had brought the newly-occupied territories an era of unprecedented peace.

At the start of the 14th Century the arrival of the first of the émigré Popes brought the city of Avignon both prestige and previously undreamed-of prosperity, the signs of which remain plainly visible today. It did not take the Papal court long to begin deploying some of its great wealth and influence towards the enlargement of its territories, along the way acquiring many of the more notable wine-producing communes. On 31 st July, 1344, Humbert II, Dauphin of Vienne, signed a document ceding the village of Visan to Pope Clément VI, in exchange for the sum of 12 000 gold florins. However, unlike the expanding area by now squaring-up to (but independent of) the kingdom of France, Visan and its companions Valréas, Grillon and Richerenches lay beyond the narrow stretch of land around Tulette which was still owned by the Dauphin. These outposts thereafter became known collectively as the Enclave des Papes, and remained in their possession until the Revolution.

In 1802 Visan became part of the canton of Valréas but even today remains proud of its former independence. The vieux village bakes slowly in the southern sun in a peaceful setting at the foot of gentle, vine-clad hillsides, a little apart from the (marginally) younger counterpart which is more immediately visible to unsuspecting passers-by. The 'real' Visan is thus bypassed by the attentions of mass tourism, allowing life to go on at its own measured pace. Above the village is a bewildering network of lanes and tracks used by the vignerons during the course of their daily work, but I'm spared the ignominy of becoming irretrievably lost amid an anonymous sea of vines by the presence of a couple of small signs at the roadside, one proclaiming 'St-Maurice par la Montagne', the other pinpointing my destination: 'Domaine Coste Chaude'. The subsequent rambling climb takes in ever-widening views of the local vineyards, the surrounding hills, and across the Rhône valley. As I near the crest of the hill there's another, more familiar distant spectre to my right: the vast, brooding outline of the northern slopes of Mont Ventoux. Despite such scenic distractions it's the foreground which catches the eye, as row after row of vines snakes in from the distance to embrace its very own rose bush. Traditionally, shrub roses were grown in order to provide wine-producers with advance warning of impending disease problems; if the rose showed signs of infection you had two weeks, maximum, to find out why. And to take decisive action to protect the precious vines. Now there are more wide-ranging methods available to keep pest and infection problems in check, but here the old tradition still survives, adding a searing, vibrant stab of deep red to the pastel greens of the vines. In this case it's also the sign that I've finally reached la Domaine, which must be doing rather well, judging by the construction work currently going on beside the main entrance courtyard.

I'm greeted by owner Marianne Fues, who since arriving in 1994 from her native Switzerland has been making quite a name for herself among the fiercely-competitive local wine producers (who refer to her as 'la Suissesse'). I was keen to discover something of her methods and her relationship with the land. 'The AOC system dictates the grape varieties we must employ in our wines. So, here we have 70% Grenache, 27% Syrah and a little Mourvèdre and Carignan - the assemblage which defines the Côtes du Rhône. The individual parcels planted with vines each have completely different qualities, producing lighter or fuller-bodied results, as we have discovered little by little. But we have come to love this land we hold.' I ask about the age of the vines. 'Most are around 30-40 years old. We also have some six year-old Syrah, while our youngest vines were planted three years ago. Bounding the vines we have both white and green oaks, whose effect on the terroir is very interesting.' The other regional factor is, of course, the land itself, and more importantly, perhaps, what lies beneath it. 'We're at an altitude of 350m, so it's a little like a mountain geology, very stony on the surface and with a lot of clay. The hot, dry climate sends the roots down to around 14 metres. Weeds, on the other hand, are shallow-rooted, although we are constantly clearing them from beneath the plants.'

As we walk among the vines, it's obvious that the Domaine's hilltop location creates a remarkable sense of being in the heart of somewhere very special. 'As we work we can see Orange, Ventoux, Les Dentelles du Montmirail, Vaison la Romaine, Suze-la-Rousse. just below there is Cairanne, with Grignan on the other side. Everyone, in theory at least, is producing different wines, I produce only the reds - the estate was planted for that. From the start I wanted to create something. After we'd been here for some years I decided, out of interest, to try some variations to add to what had been considered normal. We made some tests with grape varieties such as Viognier (to create an assemblage with the Syrah, with a different kind of fruitiness), and Mourvedre, which is normally found above Cairanne. Of course, we are obliged to respect the (AOC) law, and use only the official varieties of the Côtes du Rhône. For example, tradition gives us Grenache, which can be very difficult to vinify; it's not Merlot or Cabernet-Sauvignon. It can quickly produce lots of alcohol - around 15º - which is too much; no-one likes that. It must be treated very carefully, so as not to overpower the fruit, the bouquet, etc. We make the assemblage in such a way as to create the best Visan rouge - for me it's a passion. To see each stage from a tiny plant we buy and plant, through to the final bottling and labelling, all on our own domaine. it's incomparable. There are people who spend 50 years producing wine, yet each vendange is like a new apprentissage.'

This begs the obvious question about the picking process - by hand or by machine? 'The two.' replies Marianne '.partly because we're unable to provide lodging for picking teams, but more importantly since the Grenache must be picked very, very quickly, as soon as it's ready, to preserve the flavours. Last year was difficult. I had two machines standing by, each capable of picking five hectares per day, operated by people who really understand the terroir. When everything was finally ready they began like they were driving Ferraris! Here the temperature during the vendange, at the end of September, can reach 30ºC, so there is a real danger of oxidation. Fortunately we have the advantage of our cave being cool and close by. Of course, it's not always so hot. It can rain just at the point you need to pick. nothing is certain. The Carignan ripens differently, so here it's better that we pick by hand.'

Obviously, the qualities of the location also play a major role in the grand scheme of things. 'When the mistral blows it can actually benefit the vines. What does produce damage is the kind of turbulence which we get up here, and which can tear the leaves off very small areas of the vines, while leaving the rest completely untouched. It's very strange. Then there's the soil, which, being so stony, makes weeding difficult. We have machines to clear the areas beneath the vines, and certainly benefit from the presence of our friends the ladybirds, who control some of the pests. The organic methods are attractive, and we're working towards that.' I comment on the mature trees bounding the individual areas of vines. 'People say the shade they produce prevents you from getting the maximum productivity from the vines, but I think some things are more important. The trees maintain the natural appearance of the landscape. If you have nothing but endless rows of vines it can start to look like a cemetery. and for us the occasional shady spot can be very welcome.' Looking around, I have to agree with the wisdom of her decision. It's still very much a Provençal landscape - the stuff of dreams.

By the time we eventually part company it's obvious that not only is Marianne's commitment and talent creating some classic wines, but she's enjoying the whole process enormously. And I can think of worse places in which to work.

© Words and pictures Roger Moss
This feature first appeared in everything France magazine Issue 9

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