When taking a train across the Provençal landscape in the late-1800s, Paul Cézanne was graced with the towering Mont Sainte-Victoire, which he dubbed a “beau motif.” Over the following decades, he released a series of oil paintings solely dedicated to this natural construction. Today’s featured winery, Domaine des Masques, lies just before the peak, perched high up on the plateau du Cengle; this breathtaking site and its respective terroir is what originally tempted world-famous Rhône Valley vigneron Yves Cuilleron to start making wine here.
Though the domaine is situated just east of Aix-en-Provence, you won’t find any sort of Provençal appellation on the label. In its place is a standard “Vin de France”—this all-encompassing designation allows for experimentation, which is necessary for a domaine that marches to its own beat. As for the wine? It’s a pure, sensationally fresh rosé expertly crafted to please those who want to enjoy it now. For a wine without a technical designation, it delivers more terroir, fruit, and mineral expression than most rigidly defined bottles. By year’s end, I know for certain it will be hovering at the top of your rosé list. Load up!
The rutted, miles-long drive up to
Domaine des Masques is well worth being pitched back and forth in your vehicle once you step out and absorb the view. Up here at nearly 2,000 feet, they have planted grapes (~40 acres), truffle oaks, and olive trees on the expansive Cengle plateau. The domaine’s name stems from a rich history of cultivation:
“The Knights Templar founded one of the first command posts of the Order of Provence on the plateau, draining the wettest land to considerably increase the surface area that could be cultivated. Since then, bushes, trees and medicinal plants have grown in these high-altitude soils where several generations of healers, herbalists and sorcerers (‘Masco’ in the Provençal dialect) have lived and practised their arts.”
After the first plot of Chardonnay was planted in 1992, the estate began taking form and in 2003, Carl and Sophie Mestdagh purchased the property outright. Over the last 10+ years, organic viticulture has been implemented, awards have poured in, and incredible talent has followed: Enter Yves Cuilleron. His mastery of Syrah is made apparent in des Masques’ cuvées, as well as this Syrah-heavy rosé. After the team harvests by hand, grapes are destemmed and lightly pressed to extract only the purest juice. Fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks and after lees settling and a brief aging regimen, the wine is lightly filtered and bottled (with minimal sulfur) in the first quarter of the following year. This entire process is done without any oxygen exposure, resulting in an amazingly fresh style of rosé.
In the glass, the wine shimmers with a two-toned platinum and pink core with blinding silver reflections on the rim. The color perfectly reflects the nose: beautiful and incredibly bright. You’ll smell perfumed notes of grapefruit pith, white cherry, nectarine peel, white flowers, freshly picked wild strawberries, raspberry, citrus blossoms, crushed rocks, and white pepper. The palate is medium-bodied and streamlined, making it go down extremely easy. A persisting freshness melded with supple fruits and immense minerality builds on a slightly creamy finish. It’s impossible to sample this wine—a quick taste leads to a glass and a glass turns into a bottle. Domaine des Masques “Essentielle” lineup is built for youthful drinking, and I recommend you consume this delicious rosé within the next 1-2 years for the best experience. Pop and pour around 50 degrees and serve next to a charcuterie plate and various tapas—including the attached yellowtail crudo. Enjoy!
