[May 8, 2024]

I really enjoy our Pontfract rosés. It’s not only because the vines are old, but because the man who owns the estate is positively ancient.

We like to say, ‘we stop at nothing’. Our producers certainly don’t stop easily either.

Monsieur Paul was making his wine during WW2 and I don’t know anyone else who can still claim that. He’s now in his 90s and but looks more youthful than I do! When he was a boy all the men in the family marched – or were marched – off to war or labour camps. Little Paul remained with the women, and they brought the harvests in. That was their job...

The Pontfract estate stopped at nothing, survived and continues to prosper today. Even after the rich and famous flocked to Provence and his town of Correns, buying up vineyards to make pricey rosés. They offered him large sums of money if he’d sell. They got a firm ‘Non!’

Correns is a totally organic village. It’s not just the wine, but the butcher, the baker and all the rest. A certain B. Pitt and A. Jolie bought the neighbouring estate of Miraval, the wines of which we had been quietly selling for years when it belonged to Jacques Loussier, the famous jazz pianist. So, we know it’s good, but Pontfract is better.

Whilst he may not be doing the back-breaking work of harvest anymore, Monsieur Paul is still there, perched up on the top of his vats with a walkie-talkie directing the pickers and cellar hands. And his rosés – both the domaine wine and the more generic Moulin pink are better than ever – fresh and fruity with a distinct strawberry charm. I guess it’s partly because he seems to know every vine on his property – they’re all his children – and the precise moment when each should be picked. And that precision is even more important for rosé wines than reds or whites if you want to get the colour just right.

There’s been a bit of comment in the newspapers about the colour of rosé lately, with a group of Provence producers demanding we should drink more of their dark-coloured rosé and less of the ‘new’ pale variety. This smacks of the old French attitude, “You must drink what we make … even if you don’t like it”.

This used to work when people were unsure about what wines they should or shouldn’t like but that fearfulness has largely gone these days. People now know what they like and most like a rosé that’s closer to a white than a red. Don’t you?

It is true that Provence rosé used to be darker. But back then we didn’t manage to sell much. When it went pale, sales rocketed. I believe the paler style originated in the Languedoc, where some areas traditionally use white grapes – particularly Clairette – in their rosé, something not allowed in Provence (bureaucratic rules from Paris). A similar thing has happened in Bordeaux which for centuries has made a dark pink/pale red wine called clairet … from Merlot, mostly. Confusing isn’t it? It was very hard to sell. Then, at our La Clarière, we made ours paler and sales … took off!

Long may Monsieur Paul continue. He’ll make it to 100, I’m sure.

Buy some Domaine de Pontfract and raise a toast to an inspiring old guy. ‘Old Guys Rule!’ says my favourite t-shirt.