Château Calissanne - Clos Victoire 2009

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Calissanne is located in Lançon-de-Provence. This vast Provençal estate spans 1,100 hectares, including 110 hectares of vineyards and 60 hectares of olive groves, forming a single, contiguous plot of land with a south-facing exposure. The terroir consists of brown, stony, well-drained soils over Urgonian limestone colluvium, which are ideally suited to the cultivation of grapevines and olive trees. Planted on gently sloping hillsides across 25 plots, 11 grape varieties are used in the production of Calissanne’s wines. Legend has it that the famous calissons of Aix—a sweet treat made from almond paste—take their name from a hillside in Calissanne that was once planted with almond trees.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

The history of La Calissanne dates back to time immemorial: an ancient Celtic-Ligurian stronghold, of which an oppidum known as “Constantine” remains, overlooking the estate—which was owned by the Order of Malta in the 13th and 14th centuries— then by a member of the Parliament of Aix-en-Provence in the 17th century, by Charles Auguste Verminck, a prominent figure in Marseille who headed soap and oil mills in the 19th century, and finally by Philippe Kessler in 2001. Today, it is Sophie, Philippe’s wife, who runs the estate, which remains at the pinnacle of the appellation. Our twelfth favorite—and no small feat—is Jean Bonnet, who has served as operations director for over twenty years. This 2009 Clos Victoire, made from Syrah (60%) and Cabernet Sauvignon, offers an intense bouquet of black fruits and mocha. The palate holds up the flavor—for a long, long time—and stands out for its great freshness, tannic strength, and perfectly balanced oak. It’s best to let it age for two or three years, even if the temptation to taste it now is already very strong...

About the estate:

Once a Celtic-Ligurian stronghold, La Calissanne was owned by the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem in the Middle Ages, by a parliamentarian from Aix in the 17th century, by a soap manufacturer in the 19th century, and finally, in 2001, by businessman Philippe Kessler, who passed away in 2008. Today, Sophie Kessler-Matière, his wife, manages this vast 1,200-hectare estate, which includes 60 hectares of olive groves and about 100 hectares of vineyards, spread across 25 plots of gently sloping, stony hillsides. This cornerstone of the Côteaux-d’Aix AOC—managed for twenty-five years by Jean Bonnet, who conducted an in-depth analysis of the vineyard’s planting strategy and maintenance—is now led by Christophe Barraud.