Villa Baulieu 2017

Tasting Notes and Serving Tips for Villa Baulieu 2017

Tasting

Color

The color shows an intense ruby hue with cherry highlights, deep and brilliant.

Nose

Powerful while retaining finesse and elegance, the nose reveals aromas of raspberries and blackcurrant, accompanied by a few wild notes. Fragrances of spices and black pepper mingle with woody touches and subtle mineral notes of flint.

Palate

On the palate, the wine stands out for its very fine length. The palate expresses discreet notes of cocoa over a tight, fine tannic framework with a saline grain. The structure is supple and harmonious despite its power, with a saline finish that bears the hallmark of the volcanic terroir.

Food and Wine Pairing

This Villa Baulieu 2017 pairs beautifully with duck breast with pepper sauce, a platter of soft cheeses, or a chocolate-based dessert. It also enhances grilled or roasted red meats, furred game, meats in sauce, roast woodcock, roast quails, or a fine côte de bœuf.

Serving and Cellaring

Villa Baulieu 2017 is best enjoyed at a temperature of 17°C. This wine has aging potential of 10 years and more, with a peak drinking window between around 2020 and 2026. However, it can also be enjoyed now.

A red wine from Provence born of a unique volcanic terroir in Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence

The estate

The history of Villa Baulieu spans more than two millennia. Having become property of the Counts of Provence and elevated to a fiefdom by Henry III in 1576, the estate was acquired in 2001 by Pierre Guénant, who transformed it into one of Provence’s most prestigious wine estates. In May 2023, the estate joined the Estoublon group led by Stéphane Courbit, in partnership with Nicolas Sarkozy, Carla Bruni, and the Prats family. The Guénant family retains an ownership stake. The estate covers 300 hectares, including 170 hectares of vines, at the heart of a walled 22-hectare historic park.

The vineyard

Villa Baulieu’s vineyard enjoys an exceptional location, nestled in the crater of the only volcano in Provence, the Trévaresse volcano, formed 17.5 million years ago. The plots producing this wine lie between 400 and 430 meters above sea level across 12 hectares facing northeast, overlooking the Durance and looking out toward the Luberon and Sainte Victoire. Basaltic volcanic soils stand alongside clay-limestone terroirs and marl, giving the wine distinctive minerality and absolute freshness. This altitude creates significant temperature swings between day and night, ideal for producing age-worthy wines. The Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence appellation benefits from a Mediterranean climate with 2,700 hours of sunshine each year and the influence of the Mistral.

Vinification and aging

The Villa Baulieu 2017 harvest is carried out by hand at phenolic ripeness, in several passes through the plots to select only optimal grapes. The grapes are transported in 10-kilogram crates, then destemmed and sorted on a vibrating table before a second berry-by-berry sorting. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in concrete vats with around ten punch-downs for gentle extraction, complemented by pump-overs. Malolactic fermentation is carried out in French oak barrels. Aging lasts 10 to 12 months, split between 225- and 500-liter French oak barrels, 12-hectoliter foudres, and 10% in clay amphora. The wines have been made under the signature of renowned consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt since 2009.

Grape varieties

Syrah (50%), Grenache Noir (30%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%)