Château Simone

The beautiful Château Simone is not the sole producer of the Palette Appellation, but it is the largest of just two (the other is the even smaller Château Crémade). The property, just outside Aix-en Provence, has been in the hands of the Rougier family for just under two centuries and it was Jean Rougier who drove for the Appellation to be recognised in 1948.

They make wines of all three colours, with a relatively unusual 'encepagement' in the vineyards of Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Bourboulenc for the whites and Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre and Cinsaut for the reds and rosés. These classic varieties are augmented by small plantings of such delights as Syrah, Merlot, Castet, Manosquin, Carignan, various Muscats, Ugni Blanc, and Viognier (no Rolle). Most of the vines are more than fifty years old, and many are over a century.

All the wines are well suited for ageing, and indeed the Rosé is one of the few remaining to be bottled in green glass with this in mind. The wines are justifiably difficult to track down and quite expensive (for Provence, although not for their quality). There is however, a second label, 'Grands Carmes' which offers a less expensive glimpse of the property's quality and style. The original name of the monastic bastide on the property was Grands Carmes d'Aix, and it was these monks who dug the extensive underground galleried cellars in the sixteenth century.

The cellars are open for visits, but booking in advance is highly recommended.