Domaine Houchart Cotes de Provence Rouge 2018

The Rouge is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. The wine displays a soft elegance with a slight herbaceous element that pokes its head out of the ripe cherry core. This is one of those wines that is so drinkable you're surprised when you are down to the end of the bottle. Cotes du Rhone fans will love this!

Domaine Houchart, located at the foot of Mont St. Victoire near Aix en Provence, was founded by Aurelien Houchart in the 1850s. The great painter Paul Cezanne, famous for his images of the mountain, was a friend of the family who visited the estate frequently during that period. It is now owned by Aurelien’s great-granddaugther Genevieve, who is married to Jerome Quiot, owner of Domaine du Vieux Lazaret and Chateau de Trignon. The 200 acre estate is planted with 10 traditional grape varieties on soils of red clay, sandstone, gravel and chalk and produces 55% rose, 40 % red and 5% white wines. The soil is reddish with a high proportion of limestone, gravelly in places with some steep slopes, and is ideally exposed. Half the Domaine lies in the Cotes de Provence St. Victoire sub-appellation, which was created in 2005 to acknowledge the exceptional quality of wines from this part of the region.