Mas de Gourgonnier 2021 Les Baux - Traditional Bottling

The area of Les Baux gave its name to the mineral Bauxite - critical in the production of aluminium. On the outskirts of town you can taste wine in a massive underground tasting room that was once a bauxite mine. It's an experience you won't soon forget! Just be sure to dress warmly - the humidity and temperatures are ideal for wine, not so much for humans.

And while these mineral-laden soils might lend a unique element to the wines, the dominant characteristic is that of the local 'garrigue' - a combination of herbs, scrub oak, and lavendar whose aromatic pollens lend flavor to the grapes they settle on. If you've ever spent much time living around a eucalyptus tree, you know of such sticky stamens!  

Side Note: The french term, 'Mas' (note, the 's' at the end is pronounced here, an oddity for Francophones!) is the local term for a country house.  And many of the region's producers grew out of the gardens of such country homes as Mas de Gourgonnier, pictured on the label. The bottle shape is also unique to the this local region, and I really want to dig into its origins. I'm sure it's a good story and I'll gladly share it once it finds its way to us!