Ooh la la - je suis encore une fois à Paris! Well, that's not a bad place to be, especially when wine and food are on the agenda within the elegant confines of the world famous Peninsula Paris Hotel. This was the venue chosen for a recent tasting of Marguerites en Provence, the new collection from Sainte Marguerite en Provence. The historic estate is recognised globally, especially for its premium rosés, such as Fantastique Rosé (Decanter 91 points for the 2022).
Sainte Marguerite en Provence was founded in 1929. Acquiring a good name for its terroir-driven wines, in 1955, the estate earned a designation of Cru Classé des Côtes-de-Provence, which currently only 18 estates hold. However, the seven hectares of vines became abandoned, until taken over, in 1977, by Brigitte and Jean-Pierre Fayard. Moving south from Saint-Étienne in eastern-central France with their three young children, they settled into the house next door to the vineyard. In those days, the iconic Provence rosé style we think of today was neither revered nor known!
In 2003, after a complete overhaul of the vineyard land, with a massal selection of the best vines and avoiding the use of fungicides, insecticides or herbicides, Sainte Marguerite obtained Ecocert certification.
Today the domaine encompasses nearly 280 hectares, split between 11 plots spread over 22km on a diversity of rocky, schist and clay-based soils. These all lie between the original vineyard in La Londe-les-Maures and Pierrefeu-du-Var to the northwest. None of its wines are made using animal products and so are vegan-certified, as well as organic.
Olivier Fayard, Jean-Pierre's and Brigitte's eldest son, is now Sainte Marguerite's winemaker and CEO, supported by siblings Lionel, Enzo and Sigolène. In 2022, based on their shared values and convictions, the Fayard family joined forces with Pernod Ricard.
Olivier Fayard, winemaker and CEO of Sainte Marguerite
The region benefits from low annual rainfall (less than 700 mm/year), plenty of sunshine and a constant sea breeze. As a result, vineyards avoid extreme winter and summer temperatures, benefiting from their coastal location and Mediterranean climate.
Sainte Marguerite is one of many estates that continue to have worldwide success for their Provence rosés. According to Vins de Provence, over the past 10 years, global rosé wine production has been climbing. France accounts for more than a third of this and Provence, where 91% of vines are dedicated to the category, leads the way. Despite a downturn in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rosé consumption grew in a number of countries in Europe and Asia-Oceania and exports of Provence wine (around 62 million bottles in 2022) have risen nearly 500% in 15 years.
The UK remains in the top three countries for rosé imports and Provence is an important source. One look at a supermarket, independent retailer or restaurant listing will show how important the Provence rosé style is to the British market. Yet not all Provence rosés are the same and not all Provence wine is rosé! So, given the enduring appetite for fresh, dry and crisp expressions of the colour pink, is there room in the market for a new collection of white, rosé and red wines from this part of France at premium prices?
Marguerites en Provence is a new, limited-edition collection, representing a step-up in quality and intensity from the successful 'Fantastique' range. Here, Sainte Marguerite en Provence has set out to make their most terroir-expressive wines. "We wanted to make the best wines possible", says Olivier Fayard, "without any limitations or concessions, simply thinking about the immediate pleasure that they would bring to those lucky enough to taste them."
The wines are the first to be made by the three siblings on their own without their father. Jean-Pierre Fayard had always encouraged his children to work with red and white wines, as well as rosés, to develop and improve the range. The new collection encompasses this approach with several new winemaking techniques. "Marguerites is the future of Sainte Marguerite!", declares Olivier with pride.
The three new cuvées are made in very limited quantities of only 15,000 bottles of the rosé, 4,000 of the white and under 15,000 of the red. You can find these wines at the estate and in a selection of iconic locations in France and abroad. Marguerites en Provence Rosé 2023 will also be available exclusively with pairings on the brunch menu of The Lobby restaurant at the Peninsula Paris, from March 20th-31st 2024.
There are no listings as yet in the UK, but current prices are €55 for the rosé and red, while the white is €65.
Olivier Fayard and Elizabeth Gabay MW led the tasting of the new collection. The wines were specially paired with dishes prepared by David Bizet, Head Chef of The Peninsula's 2* Michelin restaurant, L'Oiseau Blanc, in collaboration with Head Sommelier, Florent Martin, voted Meilleur Sommelier de France in 2021.
Florent Martin gives his impression of the wines: "Thanks to these new cuvées, the estate promises a degree of aromatic and gustatory finesse rarely achieved. On a more personal note, Sainte Marguerite en Provence evokes in me the memories of my family in Provence, the fragrance of the scrubland and the sea."
Gabay adds: "The Marguerites en Provence Collection is part of the continuity of the Fantastique cuvées. The Fayard brothers have succeeded in evolving the style to express more depth and complexity."
Elizabeth Gabay MW
Old vines are at the heart of Sainte Marguerite en Provence's philosophy. So, the Rolle (aka Vermentino) is from 200-year old Corsican vines, while the estate-grown Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah are at least 100 years old and come from the schist-rich terroir of La Londe, opposite the beautiful Îles d'Or.
🎚️ ABV: 13%.
🍇 Grapes: Mostly Grenache, with a small proportion of Rolle and Cinsault.
👁️ Appearance: Crystal clear, light pink.
👃 Nose: Floral with hints of spring blossom, dried flowers, white strawberry, red cherry, citrus and herbs.
😋 Palate: Unlike many rosés, this is not about overt red fruit notes, but more about structure and texture with refreshing acidity. There are some juicy fruit notes, reminiscent of pear, kiwi and cherry, with fresh touches of grapefruit, lemon pith, underripe strawberry and a savoury hint of dried herbs. The finish is long with a delicate edge of salinity and minerality, while the modest 13% level of alcohol is barely felt.
🌮 Food Pairing: Marguerites en Provence Rosé 2023 is a versatile wine, pairing well with seafood, mackerel carpaccio (as tried at the tasting) and many other dishes.
Marguerites en Provence Rosé is the perfect match for Chef David Bizet's mackerel carpaccio
Gabay comments: "The most intense of the Sainte Marguerite range of rosés, this is a refreshingly delicate rosé that boasts the ripeness of coastal Provence, the freshness of a sea breeze and notes of tropical fruit and fresh flowers."
Olivier Fayard says that his father rates this rosé as the best example he's tried from the estate. A resounding slap on the back for the second generation!
🎚️ ABV: 13%.
🍇 Grapes: 100% Rolle harvested from two plots on clay-poor, schist-based soils. The wine is vinified and aged for 10 months in a selection of new barrels of extra-fine-grain French oak.
👁️ Appearance: Clear, pale straw.
👃 Nose: Aromatic with hints of pear, white peach and tropical fruit plus perfumed touches of herbs, jasmine and sandalwood.
😋 Palate: Ripe, fruity touches of pear, white peach, pineapple and grapefruit with a hint of wild herbs. The oak is subtle, lending a softening tinge of vanilla and roundness, while the mouth-watering saline, savoury component makes this wine distinctive, structured and elegant. It's an interesting and complex wine with a long finish.
🌮 Food Pairing: A gastronomic wine, Marguerites en Provence Blanc 2022 pairs beautifully with many dishes, particularly fish-based. Because of its structure and savoury quality, it copes well with rich flavours.
Gabay comments: "Rolle has the ability to make both fresh, fruity summer whites and, as here, a wine with powerful ripeness, backed by fine oaked structure with the potential for ageing and evolution. An all-year wine to remind you of the sea."
🎚️ ABV: 14%.
🍇 Grapes: Syrah and Grenache from three plots on schist and clay soils. The wine is aged for 24 months in new barrels of extra-fine-grain French oak.
👁️ Appearance: Dark red.
👃 Nose: Aromas of raspberries, ripe cherries and a hint of juicy black olives.
😋 Palate: Fresh, juicy notes of red berries, blackberries, sweet olive, green herbs, pink grapefruit and spice with soft tannins and a velvety texture, leading to a long finish.
🌮 Food Pairing: Marguerites en Provence Rouge 2021 is great with pasta in a blue cheese sauce or rich, white and red meat dishes, including venison.
Gabay comments: "A traditional Provencal barrique-aged and opulently ripe Syrah, with smooth silky tannins, vibrant freshness, good complexity and notes of herbes de Provence reminiscent of the local terroir and garrigue."
While Provence rosés remain important in the UK, the region's whites and reds have much lower exposure in both the on- and off-trade. So, is there room in the market for new, premium examples of these styles?
At the time of tasting, all the wines would still benefit from further time in bottle, particularly the red and white. Elizabeth Gabay MW noted how the red wine had already evolved from being Grenache dominant at the start to the Syrah's influence coming through much more now. The white wine is the most intriguing of the three and would grace many dishes served in high quality restaurants. It certainly has the capacity to age well.
So, perhaps the answer to the question above is yes, but … see below.
The attractive, elegant looking bottles do not look out of place in a 5* Paris hotel or 2* Michelin restaurant and will no doubt appeal to the image and fashion-conscious wine consumer. However, they have strong appeal in their own right - niche, yes, but quality too. These are 'gastronomic wines' and so are probably more relevant for the on-trade. Low volumes and relatively high prices will increase their niche appeal and limit their reach, so premium, independent wine stores would be the most likely retail source.
There should always be room in the market for good wine and these are good wines. Rosés may continue to lead the Provence charge, but the region's whites and reds offer viable alternatives for the more curious wine lover. With an increasing number of Champagne Houses finding rich pickings in Provence, The Pernod Ricard Group, brand owners of Maison Perrier-Jouët and Maison Mumm, is a serious player in the category. The new Marguerites en Provence collection is an elegant addition to the group's portfolio of wines and it can only be hoped that we will see these wines soon in the UK.
