Palette (wine region)

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Overview of the wine-growing regions of Provence

The small wine-growing region Palette is located in the center of the French wine-growing region Provence, southeast of the city of Aix-en-Provence . To the north of it is the large appellation Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence ; Palette is also often referred to as the Grand Cru of this appellation.

The vineyards with only 40 hectares of vineyards are located on a rarely encountered limestone soil called Calcaire de Langesse . This type of soil was reason enough for the establishment of an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC for short) on April 28, 1948 . Areas in the municipalities of Meyreuil and Le Tholonet are permitted . Some parcels are in the area of ​​the city of Aix-en-Provence.

There is an unbelievable variety of grape varieties with over 30 approved and in some cases very rare grape varieties .

In general, the harvest is subject to a quantity restriction of max. 40 hectoliters / hectare.

Red wine and rosé wine are made from at least 50% of the main varieties Mourvèdre , Grenache and Cinsault (here called Plant d'Arles). In addition, the grape varieties Brun Fourca , Cabernet Sauvignon , Carignan , Castets (grape variety) , Durif , various red nutmeg varieties such as Muscat de Hambourg , Muscat noir de Provence, ..., Petit Brun , Syrah , Terret Gris , Téoulier (also Manosquin called) and Tibouren , as well as a share of a maximum of 15% of all permitted white grape varieties. The wines have a minimum alcohol content of 11% by volume. They are fragrant, develop aromas of violets, and age well.

Among the white wines , the Clairette Blanche grape variety (with various varieties such as Clairette à gros grains, à petits grains, Clairette de Trans, Picardan, Clairette Rose and the Oeillade Blanche ) is the main variety, which must have a minimum of 55% in the blend. Auxiliary varieties are Aragnan Blanc , Colombard , Grenache Blanc , various white nutmeg varieties (Muscat de Frontignan, Muscat de Die, Panse muscade or Panse du Roi René de Provence, ...), Pascal Blanc , Piquepoul Blanc , Terret Gris (here Terret- Called Bourret) and Ugni Blanc .

The best- known wineries of the appellation are Château Simone and Château La Crémade, which together have more than 20 hectares of vineyards. The wines of these goods in particular need at least 8-10 years of bottle aging before they can fully develop but can be stored for more than 20 years.

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