Close your eyes and picture vineyards in the Cote de Provence. Whatever you may have arrived at, it very likely resembles the idyll that is Chateau Malherbe, tucked between the wooded foothills of Cap Benat in the Port-Cros national park and the blue of the Mediterranean. From this not-to-be-believed little corner of paradise come some of the most pristinely farmed and individual wines in Provence. Originally from Lyon, Louis Ferrari (no relation) purchased Chateau Malherbe in 1940 and his grandson Serge planted vineyards in 1960 to begin producing wine. From the outset, the vines were farmed entirely without herbicides or pesticides or indeed any synthetic products. Serge’s wife Mireille Ferrari strove from the outset to treat her vines with the utmost care and respect, since this was the only way to ensure that the property would survive through generations.
Today her grandson Sebastian leads the estate, the fourth generation to tend to the property, and he has expanded on Mireille’s philosophy, achieving Demeter certification of biodynamics in 2021. Cover crops of rye and flowers are planted every year to ensure water retention and cool the soil in an area often beset by drought in the modern age. They have succeeded by engaging Jannick Utard (formerly of the estimable Domaine de la Navicelle) and Burgundy’s natural wine pioneer Philippe Pacalet. Under their guidance, the estate’s vines and wines have reached new heights.
The 2021 white is a blend of 60% Rolle (Vermentino) and 40% Semillon. This unusual blend provides an experience both refreshing and cerebral, the snap and energy of the Rolle off-set by the Semillon’s richness and texture. The intense minerality of the clay and shale soils is laid bare.
