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2022 Alpes-Maritimes Grassenc “Les Planches de Lunel”
Clos Saint-Joseph
One hundred years ago, in 1925, vigneron Roch Sassi’s great-grandfather planted a vineyard with a smattering of local grapes on his farm near the Italian border. A few years ago, Roch realized he had some vines he couldn’t identify, so he had them tested only to discover that his great-grandfather had planted Grassenc. Curious about this little-known variety, Roch took cuttings from those vines and replanted a few rows to see whether they would make a worthy red. Les Planches de Lunel is the result of that beautiful experiment. Light, floral, and peppery—you won’t taste anything else like it this year.
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2022 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Grassenc |
Appellation: | IGP Alpes Maritimes |
Country: | France |
Region: | Provence |
Producer: | Clos Saint-Joseph |
Winemaker: | Roch Sassi |
Vineyard: | Planted in 2010, .35 ha |
Soil: | Clay, limestone |
Aging: | Vinified in concrete tank, aged in demi-muids (5 years old) for 1 year |
Farming: | Biodynamic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 12% |
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About The Producer
Clos Saint-Joseph
Roch Sassi of Clos Saint-Joseph (named for his great-grandfather) is the only grower to bottle any wine eked from these incredibly rocky slopes. His wines fall under the Côtes de Provence appellation, even though the much cooler terroir here has little relation to the rest of the AOC. Villars in fact represents an isolated enclave of Côtes de Provence that enjoys a unique microclimate, the dry heat buffered by cold air currents from the surrounding mountains. These conditions allow for full ripening at remarkably low alcohol levels, maintaining lively fruit and bright acidity in the wines.
About The Region
Provence
There is perhaps no region more closely aligned with the history of Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant than Provence. While Kermit began his career as a Burgundy specialist, he soon fell in love with Provence and its wines, notably the legendary Bandols of Domaine Tempier, which he began importing in 1977. He later began living in the area part-time, returning frequently between tasting trips, and today he spends most of his time at his home just outside of Bandol.
Provence is thought to be France’s most ancient wine region, established when Greek settlers landed in the modern-day port city of Marseille in the 6th century BC. The conditions here are ideal for cultivation of the grapevine, with a hot, dry climate and a prevalence of poor, rocky soils, primarily limestone-based, suitable for vines and not much else. The ever-present southern sunshine as well as the mistral, a cold, drying wind from the northwest that helps keep the vines free of disease, are crucial elements of Provençal terroir. Wild herbs from the pervasive scrubland, called garrigue, and cooling saline breezes from the Mediterranean also contribute to the quality and character of wines in all three colors.
Provence is well known for its rosés, but red wines have always held importance here. The very best, such as those from Bandol, possess great depth and a capacity for long-term aging. The white wines, notably those of Cassis, offer weight balanced by a maritime freshness, making them ideal pairings for the local seafood. Mourvèdre reigns king for red grapes, supported mainly by Grenache and Cinsault, while Clairette, Marsanne, Rolle, and Ugni Blanc are the region’s principal white grapes.
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Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.