Clos de L'Ours Le Chemin 2023

Clos de l’Ours Le Chemin 2023 was one of the most exciting value discoveries we tasted this year. Think of it as a purer, more lifted expression in the spirit of Domaine de Trevallon, with freshness, structure and remarkable drinkability. Our enthusiasm was shared by critic Tamlyn Currin, whose praise for the wine perfectly captures its character and balance.

Clos de l’Ours is a rising star of inland Provence, located in the rugged hills near Cotignac where limestone and clay soils meet cooling forest influences. The vineyards are farmed organically and worked by hand, producing fruit with natural freshness and precision. In the cellar, the Brotons family favours indigenous fermentations and gentle extraction, allowing the vineyard to lead. Ageing takes place in enamel lined steel tanks, large oak foudres and concrete eggs, preserving fruit purity and mineral tension.

Le Chemin is the estate’s flagship red, built around Syrah and Grenache grown on stony limestone slopes. The wine combines Mediterranean warmth with remarkable lift, offering dark berries, wild herbs and peppery spice framed by fine tannins. Concentrated yet vibrant, it captures the wild landscape of inland Provence and demonstrates the serious potential of the region’s reds.

For a wine with this level of character, craftsmanship and sense of place, the value is exceptional. This is exactly the kind of bottle you want to discover before the wider market catches on.