Château Réal d’Or

“Our soil, mixed with sand and sediment from the Aille River, can be hard to work”, confides Murielle Schlicklin, Vineyard Manager and Cellar Master. But that doesn’t affect how superb the setting is. Although the vineyard has the potential to grow 17 hectares of Notre-Dame des Anges DGC grapes, “we are switching over gradually, as we currently produce 2,000 bottles of red and the same amount of rosé”.

The red is a blend made of mostly Syrah (80%) and Cabernet Sauvignon, fermented using traditional methods, in open barrels where it is aged for at least a year. The resulting wine exudes a delightful bouquet of berries combined with notes of vanilla, roasted coffee, and is pleasingly round. Old Grenache (70%) and Cinsault (30%) combine to make a delicate, fruit-forward “terroir rosé”, as Murielle Schlicklin describes it, with 40% vinified in barrels. It is characterized by apricot, peach and lychee, creating a subtle impression of sweetness.

“It’s important for the region’s vineyards and wineries to take advantage of the collective work that was done to achieve our DGC, in terms of quality – because it offers a guarantee in that area – as well as the identification of our special features and our terroir. Although we are a part of Côtes de Provence, a Notre-Dame des Anges is not the same as a La Londe or a Pierrefeu, for example. The wine’s expressiveness is different, particularly as concerns our unique viscosity which coats the mouth and lingers on the palate, our salmon pink colours and our low level of acidity.” All these aspects, amongst others, are a reflection of the wines and unite them, typically in the form of high-end vintages, like here, which require wine-makers to go above and beyond the call of duty…