This historic estate, situated in the hills just south of Aix-en-Provence, has been in the hands of the Rougier family for two centuries and holds a virtual monopoly on the appellation of Palette. Chateau Simone encompasses twenty hectares of vineyards that sit at elevations between 500 and 750 feet above sea level. The special micro-climate of this appellation is influenced by the encircling pine forests, the mass of Mont Sainte Victoire, and the Arc river. The vineyards were reconstituted after the invasion of phylloxera, and many vines are over a century old. The Rougiers maintain the particular vinification methods developed and cherished over many decades. For those of you who are not familiar with these wines, whether rouge, blanc or rosé, we believe you will find them to be compelling and unique.Our first release from Chateau Simone is the Palette Rouge 2004 which is due to the first week of March. The red from Simone is primarily composed of Grenache, Mourvedre and Cinsault but its special character reflects the presence of at least ten other grape varieties, albeit in small proportion, including syrah, manosquin, carignan, castet, cabernet sauvignon and muscat noir. The 2004 vintage is an elegant yet well-constituted wine of great depth. Bottled after three years of aging in foudres and barriques, it is a classic that deserves to be aged in order to best appreciate its many nuances: plum, pine resin, cinnamon, truffle and spice among other sensations.
Chateau Simone, Palette Rouge 2004
$70/btl
