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, south-facing cultivation area. The terroir consists of brown, stony, well-drained soils over Urgonian limestone colluvium, ideally suited for growing grapes and olives. Planted on gently sloping hillsides across 25 plots, 11 grape varieties contribute to the production of Calissanne’s wines. Legend has it that the famous Calissons d’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 the so-called Oppidum of Constantine—overlooking the estate—still stands; a property of the Order of Malta in the 13th and 14th centuries, to a parliamentarian of the Court of Aix-en-Provence in the 17th century, to Charles Auguste Verminck, a prominent figure in Marseille who ran soap and oil mills in the 19th century, and finally to Philippe Kessler in 2001. Today, it is Sophie, his 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, delivers an intense bouquet of black fruit and mocha. The palate holds the note, long, very long, and stands out for its great freshness, its tannic strength, and its perfectly controlled oak. Best to wait two or three years, even if the urge to taste it is already very tempting...

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 trees and about 100 hectares of vineyards, spread across 25 plots of gently sloping, stony hillsides. This pillar 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 policy and maintenance—is now led by Christophe Barraud.