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46 / the tasting panel / april 2015 Ventoux. With more extraction and evidence of oak, they are higher in tannins and alcohol, hovering above 14 percent ABV. Their cult-like 2012 Orca is a concentrated, old-vine Grenache, aged in small amphorae ($20). In the northern reaches of Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence, clay and limestone soils peppered with basalt and a marked diurnal shift lend character to wines of Château Beaulieu. The 300-hectare estate began to focus on premium Bordeaux-style blends in 2011 and hired consultant Stephane Derenoncourt to get them there. The 2012 Château Beaulieu is an oak- dominant blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache with plenty of vanilla, caramel and butterscotch. In contrast, the 2011 Villa Beaulieu (70 percent Syrah and 30 percent Cabernet Sauvignon) is floral and red-fruited with licorice and cassis on the palate. East of the city of Aix-en-Provence, at the foot of Mont Sainte-Victoire, is Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire declared a "terroir" denomination for red and rosé in 2005. Here, seventh- generation winegrower Mathieu Negrel of Mas de Cadenet, a certified organic estate in view of the mountain, devotes about 40 percent of his production to red wine. Negrel's blends include old-vine Cinsault and are intensely aromatic and mineral. "This region has typically been sought for reds but over the last five years we've seen a shift towards rosé. Everyone wants a rosé in their portfolio," he said. He anticipates that a white wine AOP will be forthcoming as the wines are characterful with stone fruit, ginger and white pepper. Known for distinc- tive cool-climate Syrah and Grenache blends grown on schist and limestone, Negrel's 2010 Mas de Cadenet Centenaire was spicy, plummy with earth and iodine minerality. With demand for premium rosés rising, Annabelle and eighth-gener- ation winegrower Olivier Sumeire of Château Coussin have bottled an icon rosé—2013 Cesár—that at $60 pushes well into ultra-premium territory. Intensely floral with red raspberry, fraise de bois and an opulent citrus finish, it's double the price of the region's celebrity-owned rosé, Miravel. The 300-hectare estate is planted to the traditional Côtes de Provence varietals (Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault, Tibouren, Rolle, Clairette, Carignan and Ugni Blanc), and Sumeire's 2011 Cesár Syrah with bright black fruit, black tea and dark spice with vanilla, cocoa and tobacco was a worthy counterpart. FRANCE The formal gardens and estate vine- yards of Château Beaulieu in Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence. Mas de Cadenet, the family estate of winemaker Mathieu Negrel, sits at the foot of Mont Sainte-Victoire. The Negrel family was instrumental in creating the Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire designation. Ultra-premium rosé vintners Annabelle and Olivier Sumeire of Château Coussin. The Sumeire family has been growing wine in Aix-en-Provence for eight generations. The rocky clay-based soils of Château Coussin in Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire. IMPORTERS Bastide du Claux not imported Château Beaulieu Opici Imports Château Coussin T. Edwards Wine Domaine de la Citadelle Didier Boutet Wine Selection Domaine de la Canorgue Polaner Selections Marrenon Bond Street Imports Mas de Cadenet The House of Burgundy