Three wineries, two appellations, one wine culture: Domaines Ott are a pioneer in one of France's most exciting wine-growing regions. In Provence, they set many standards - in terms of dedication to wine, but also in their favourite wine colour: rosé."Provence is a land of contrasts that offers itself to those who can listen and wait for it. Everything here invites us to take advantage of this ultimate luxury that time represents," says Jean-François Ott, the vinophile mastermind who today keeps his watchful eye over the three vineyards once acquired by his great-great-grandfather in this very special region of south-eastern France.
Here, where viticulture is a legacy of antiquity, the young Alsatian agricultural engineer Marcel Ott finished a wine tour of his homeland in 1896. He was fascinated and at the same time inspired by this special stretch of land on the Mediterranean. And this despite the fact that shortly before, phylloxera had caused considerable damage here - between the Rhône Valley and Italy. The positive consequence for him: the land was cheaper to acquire. However, the vineyards had to be completely replanted. Marcel Ott therefore bought several vineyards directly and began to restore them. At the same time, he released the DNA that is still lived today: For even in the fourth generation, his spirit lives on, which was characterised by ambition, dedication and love for noble grape varieties and great wines with terroir in mind.
Now, 120 years later, it is Jean-François Ott who dedicates his life to this very special love of winemaking. The Domaines Ott joined Louis Roederer and his federation of creators of great wines in 2004. However, it is still he and his team who manage the three wineries with a total of 261 hectares of vineyards. Each of them has its own charm and personality: At Château de Selle, the primary grape varieties Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon produce well-balanced and mineral-influenced growths. The maritime influence suits Clos Mireille and its primary grape varieties Sémillon, Rolle and Grenache very well. In Château Romassan, the third domain, on the other hand, the character is spicier, stronger, warmer and thus ideal for Mourvèdre, Grenache and Cinsault.
The true treasure of the Domaines Ott, however, is the philosophy they live by: the unique understanding of their own wines. An important building block in this is the awareness of nature and of precisely the time required. "A lot of time is needed to create great wines from Provence," the winemaker says thoughtfully, elaborating on the importance of this factor with beautiful words: "Time is faithful and tactful. It bends over the vineyard like a guardian while we shape our fruit with hoes, shears and buckets." Out of respect for nature, 600 hours per hectare are spent working in the vineyard every year - which is more than double the average working time in Provence. Time is also needed to gently harvest the grapes and ripen the wines to bring the profile and terroir of the growing region into the glass. And finally, time to share, because that is what the wines of Domaines Ott are made for: to give pleasure and fill moments with enjoyment.
For Jean-François Ott, the wine colour rosé is not a simple accessory to red wine. On the contrary, it is the winemaker's main focus - even though he also vinifies great whites and reds. And so it is not surprising that these rosés enjoy almost iconic fame. Coupled with their special bottle shape, which perfectly captures the style of Provence and the way of life, the Domaines Ott growths are considered the region's flagships.
In 2023, a milestone in the history of Domaines Ott* followed: the "Agriculture Biologique" certification (official seal of the French Ministry of Agriculture of organic certification) acknowledges the long-standing environmental awareness of the Otts, who see themselves as artisanal winegrowers and have played an important pioneering role in Provence from the very beginning with their sustainable, environmentally friendly approach.
We cordially invite you to visit the Domaines Ott with their 2021 By.Ott Rosé at the wein.plus:club Online-Tasting"Roséweine" in June 2023 (language: German). The places available for wine professionals and private wine fans are very limited.
You can also order this wine via the online shops listed in wein.plus:find+buy.