Today, we’ve channeled our inner Cézanne by painting a two-part picture of Palette, a deeply historic and anomalous Provençal appellation that should lure the entire spectrum of wine cognoscenti. Few, however, are aware that it even exists. Sure, this is home to a kaleidoscopic range of heirloom vines hidden by a natural amphitheater of forests and rock faces, but the real reason for obscurity is its size: the entirety of Palette holds less than 50 hectares of vines.
For comparison, “tiny” Bandol sits at 1,300 and the all-encompassing Côtes de Provence covers 20,000. I’m sure you now realize why most people—even dedicated drinkers of Provence—have never heard of this appellation. Furthermore, there are just a handful of producers here and only three can be found stateside, with luck. Château Crémade is one of them. This small property handcrafts a devastatingly limited rosé from 12+ grape varieties, and it’s a plush, seamless, deliciously textured rarity to marvel and drool over. No more than six bottles per person.
NOTE: I’m sure longtime subscribers can already guess what wine will be featured in part two this afternoon. Be on the lookout because the newest release is showing exceptionally well!
Crémade’s “discovery” is a fascinating story. In the late 1940s, an administrator of France’s wine-governing body had traveled down to Château Simone to reward them with their very own monopole appellation (just like Château-Grillet in Northern Rhône and Romanée-Conti in Burgundy). He stumbled upon Château Crémade upon his arrival and was stunned to find that they, too, were producing wines of singular distinction. So, the AOC was broadened and re-titled “Palette,” named after the special lieu-dit between the two estates. Although Château Simone has long dominated the game here—they’ve been around for centuries and own nearly half of Palette’s total vine plantings—a change of ownership at Château Crémade in the year 2000 has put them back in contention.
Located deep in Provençal country, Palette lies about a dozen miles from the Mediterranean coastline. While many have been taught that vineyards are planted with south-facing exposure to capture as much sunlight as possible, here in Palette, you’ll find north-facing sites; this protects the vines from the region’s intense heat which in turn allows the grapes to be harvested later with more complexity.
Proprietor Sophie Moquet owns a wild mosaic of varieties here, all farmed naturally from old north- and south-facing sites rich in limestone. The vines are farmed without any chemical inputs. There are more than 25 grape varieties planted at the estate, and today’s rosé includes no less than a dozen: Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Durif, Castet, Brun-Fourcat, Manosquin, Terret Gris, Tibouren, and Muscat Noir.
After a meticulous hand harvest, the grapes are de-stemmed. One portion is made like a red wine with a light maceration before “bleeding” it from tank and the other half is slowly pressed directly off the skins. Fermentation and aging occur in a combination of stainless steel in neutral French oak before blending. This 2020 release is an extraordinary look into the wonderful, wild world of Palette rosé, and an experience that few will ever have. Expect perfumed aromas of creamy raspberry, green strawberry, cherry skin, citrus curd, pomegranate, crushed white rock, rose water, and damp herbs. It’s fresh, creamy, and rich all at once, holding all sorts of nuance due to a mélange of grape varieties from a truly unique terroir. Enjoy now and over the next two years.
