Deep ruby colour with aromas of cassis and red current, good length in the mouth with notes of plum. Excellent persistence.
Domaine Houchart is located at the foot of Mount St. Victoire near Aix en Provence. Today, the domaine is owned by Genevieve Quiot, who inherited it her great-grandfather, Aurelien Houchart. By the 1850’s, Aurelien had become an influential figure in wine and society. Having created one of the largest domaines in Provence, he also counted significant individuals of his day, including the famous post-impressionist painter Paul Cezanne who frequently came to visit. This beautifully appointed 200 acre estate is planted with 10 traditional grape varieties to a wide range of soils that include red clay, sandstone, gravel and chalk. Today, the estate is managed by Florence and Jean-Baptiste Quiot, who represent the fifth consecutive generation of the family to work on the estate.
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| Domaine Houchart is today owned by Geneviève, the wife of Jérôme Quiot, having been originally acquired by her grandfather. During the period the 1850's, Aurélien Houchart was an energic proprietor and negociant in wine, and created one of the largest domaines in Provence.
Subsequently his Domaine was divided between his five children, with Hilaire Houchart, Geneviève Quiot's grandfather inheriting 50 hectares of vines, the cellars and agricultural buildings.
Today, Domaine Houchart still has the 50 hectares of vines, situated at Puyloubier, at the foot of the famed montagne Sainte Victoire, 25 kms east of Aix-en-Provence. Since 1984, these wines have been commercialized by Vignobles Jérôme Quiot.
Domaine Houchart produces about 240 000 bottles (20 000 cases) of Côtes de Provence and 18 000 bottles (1 500 cases) of Vin de Pays
The grape varieties used are those traditional to Provence and balanced to give the best possible results with ages of 30 to 50 years : Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Mourvèdre for red Côtes de Provence varieties and Clairette and Rolle for white and Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah vines for Vin de Pays.
The vines are left to trail on the ground in the traditional "gobelet" fashion, other than the Syrah and young vines which are trained on wires.
Because of the size of the domain, 50 hectares, it is possible to take advantages of a wide variety of soil types, with predominantly sandy, chalky soil and deeper beds of clay and silt. This allows adequate drainage of rainfall and ensures the vines are able to produce the best possible quality. More over, the terroir of this part of the Appellation Côtes de Provence has an historical reputation for the production of high quality wines with a great ageing potential.
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