Jas d'Esclans Blanc

The Estate... Jas d'Esclans in the Cotes de Provence is an ideal partner for 3CUPS. It is in the Var, nestled between the Maure massif and the Rouet hills in the eastern section of the this region, less than 20 km from the Mediterranean. This is the back country of Provence, a dry, warm land that Matthieu de Wulf came to after beginning his winemaking life in France's far southwest. He wanted great vines, but what he ended up with was extraordinary, a farm obviously worthy of buying even to a man selective enough to have visited over 70 other estates around France before laying his money down. Along with exceptional terroir and a capable cellar team (cellar master Robert and his brother Yves were born on the estate) that de Wulf was able to keep intact to ensure fidelity to the traditions of this domaine, real value here comes from the fact that Jas d'Esclans had always adhered to traditional, natural farming methods. When the new owner applied for Ecocert approval in 1992 to label his wines as organic, the agency took soil samples and voila granted certification straight away. This rarely happens. De Wulf had bought a property where chemicals were never used, or used so minimally as to be undetectable in the ground.   

The Family... When I was in France earlier this year I met with Matthieu de Wulf's wife Gwenaelle. Matthieu is a giant, easily the tallest man in the room, no matter how big or full the room is. I imagine him tossing a barrel over one shoulder and hauling it across the cellar, or ripping up unproductive grapevines with his bare hands. Gwenaelle appears proper, a snappy dresser whose personality shows through in a cheeky smile. Tasting and negotiating with her was a pleasure. The estate's whole line-up showed dedication, consistent quality, moments of brilliance. Our British tasting assistant and wine consultant Cedric had tipped us off that these were the people to meet in the Var: it turns out his idle days on holiday hadn't been wasted.   Incidentally, about half of the estate's annual output is sold to locals and sundry seasonal residents.  I purchased the highlights of Gwenaelle's spirited tasting (which were frequently not the most expensive bottlings her family produces) and headed for home sure that my moments of faux Provencal dining would be better this year.