(scroll for English🇬🇧) Een mooie uitnodiging viel op de mat: “Graag vieren wij samen met u ons 25-jarig jubileum en presenteren wij onze nieuwe jaargangen l’Amaurigue rosé 2022 en onze andere exclusieve wijnen uit de collectie. Onze wijnmaker Jean Marie Quef zal over agro-ecologie en onze duurzame manier van wijnbouw vertellen. Het belooft een bijzondere avond te worden die zonder uw support de afgelopen 25 jaar niet mogelijk zou zijn geweest.” En dat het een bijzondere avond was lees je in het verhaal van (Engelstalige) Hanna Tamminga*, die er voor Anne-Wies.NL bij was.

Pearls, neck scarves, well-fitted suits and good hair. Velvet, gold leaf, bright light. Laughter, stemware clink-clank, live music not too loud, not too soft, just enough to make your head nod and your shoulders wiggle just a little. Here it is, a very concise description of a chic rose-soiree at the Hotel de l’Europe last week. It was dedicated to the introduction of the new vintage of Domaine de l’Amaurigue wines, where their juicy Rose was put in a spotlight. The mood of the reception matched the location and the wines perfectly. People were beautiful, servers were smiling, and a glass full of chilled wine kept somehow magically appearing in your hand.

The birth of l’Amaurigue 

The whole event was dedicated to the 25^th anniversary of the Domaine. One of the highlights were the speeches of the loving heart and skillful hands behind the brand – family de Groot and the winemaker Jean Marie Quef. After the lively introduction speech by Fleur de Groot, the head of the family Dick de Groot, reminded the guests how the brand was born. Apparently, this beautiful project was possible “thanks” to a family fight of the previous owners who couldn’t come to an agreement and eventually sold the winery in 1998. And then, with a lot of hard work, dedication and love a hobby was turned into successful entrepreneurship.

Fleur en en vader Dick de Groot

First vintage of Domaine de l’Amaurigue was released in the year 2000 with the helping hand of Hubrecht Duijker who helped the family with blending (and still does) because no amount of love and passion can produce consistently good quality without a generous splash of knowledge and experience.

Briefing by winemaker Jean Marie Quef

On that note, the winemaker Jean Marie Quef made a short presentation of the 2022 harvest conditions and various sustainable practices in the vineyards. It is not a secret that the winemakers all over the world have been having tough times dealing with unexpected fits of nature for the past few years.

First came the deadly frost of 2021. Spring frost has always been there, you might say. And it is true. But, due to the global warming, the vines wake up and start budding much earlier than a few years ago. So, the usual frost brings unusually high amount of damage destroying the harvest even before the first berries are born. It is amazing to see how desperately creative winegrowers become to fight it. But this topic deserves its very own separate story.

Then came vintage 2022 with its extremely high temperatures and draught. Making quality wine in these conditions (especially white and rose) is an immense challenge requiring a lot of skill, knowledge and hard work. In order to keep the required level of acidity, the right decisions need to be made starting at the vineyard, from proper canopy management and green harvesting to catching that perfect moment to harvest to be able to achieve the best possible balance of fruit, sugar and acidity.

Quef explained the sustainable agroecological practices the winery is using in order to protect the vineyards from extreme weather conditions and keep it healthy. One of the tricks being used at the Domaine de l’Amaurige is covering the soil between the rows of vine with thick plantings of various grasses and flowers. It is a brilliant way to protect the soil and bring it back to life. This natural blanket helps to keep the temperatures lower and preserves humidity.

In addition to trying to protect the existing vines, they are also experimenting with planting of new varieties that can withstand the heat better. This practice is being widely used throughout France. At the Domaine de l’Amaurigue they are planting verdelho from Portugal. Very curious about the results.

And then… the wines

The final chord of the official part was the presentation of the full line of Rose wines of the Domaine. They can offer three choices coming from the very heart of Provence that are all worth tasting.

The classic Domaine de l’Amaurigue Rose made from the traditional blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault presents sturdy structure with good acidity and typical notes of fragrant white stone fruit and ripe berries.

The next on the list was a blend of Cinsault and Grenache and the star of the show – Fleur de l’Amaurigue Rose – named after Fleur de Groot. Its profile is as vivacious and bright as its muse. The wine bursts with juicy notes of citrus, grapefruit and peaches. It can be equally enjoyed on its own or with a light meal.

And the last but far from being least is Le Grand de l’Amaurigue Rose. It is a limited-edition wine crafted from old vine grapes. Some of the vines date all the way back to 1965 and give the wine its concentration and depth. The profile is more complex with notes of aromatic herbs and fennel singing along with the traditional crisp and fragrant profile of a Provence Rose.

After a warm round of applause, the happy guests went back to cheering and laughing and the rivers of delicious wines kept flowing generously. Chin-chin!

Meer over dit wijnhuis: bezoek de website www.amaurigue.com

*Hanna is geboren in USSR, werkte in de hospitality in New York en was werkzaam in het sourcing team van de grootste online wijn retailer van Nederland. En nu: ‘Open to work!’ Hanna is een nieuwsgierige eter en drinker en deelt graag haar ervaringen. Lees hier meer artikelen van Hanna.

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