MAS DE GOURGONNIER LES BEAUX DE PROVENCE

Natural, Organic

WINEMAKER: Luc Cartier and daughter, Eve Cartier
ESTABLISHED: 1950
REGION: FRANCE • Provence • Mouriès
APPELLATION: Les Baux de Provence AOC
BLEND: 22% Grenache, 38% Syrah, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18%
Carignan
VINEYARDS: Vineyards are surrounded by pine trees and the natural scrub
(garrigue) of the south. Soils are a mix of decomposed granite and limestone,
very rocky and dry. The estate makes its own compost (from cow/sheep
manure) and plows between vineyard rows; beneficial herbs are planted to
control pests and moderate vine growth.
AGE OF VINES: 20 to 30 years
WINEMAKING: Hand-harvested. Destemmed and lightly crushed; fermented
on indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks. Aged
in a combination of tank and older French cask. Unfined and unfiltered.
TASTING IMPRESSIONS: Aromas of black fruits, dark roses and Provençal
garrigue; flavors of spiced black cherries and plums, pepper and ginger
PAIRING SUGGESTIONS: Grilled steak, lamb, richly flavored cheeses
NOTES: The wine is bottled in a “Normandy” or Calvados bottle, originally
used by Luc Cartier’s father for the family’s first wines in the 1950s.

When people talk seriously about “natural” wines, they talk about the organic wines of Mas de Gourgonnier. In the heart of Provence in the 1970s, this family estate was one of the first officially certified organic wineries, back when such a practice was seen as foolish for vine growers trying to make a living.
Yet Mas de Gourgonnier’s organic roots go back even further. Since the eighteenth century, the Cartier family has worked these fields, providing the local abbey with freshly grown fruits, vegetables and grain. It was in the 1950s when the family planted its first vines.

The rest, as it is said, is history. Here in Mouriès, you’ll find a direct, unadulterated connection between the land and each bottle. The earthy aromas of flowering rosemary, wild sage and juniper and the mountain freshness of the cooling “mistral” winds are all echoed in the estate’s organically raised wines.

Mas de Gourgonnier has been a North Berkeley partner for more than 25 years. In this unassuming, rugged appellation, the integrity and consistency of the family’s philosophy and products mirrored our own as an importer. This is a vine-growing family that doesn’t have to “sell” a natural philosophy; it’s simply who they are, and who they’ve always been.

Shipping & Return Information

Bottle depicted in photo may not be exactly what you receive.