LES BAUX: Provence's Hidden Gem

Les Baux on the western edge of Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence offers a heady mix of good wine, fine dining, scenic views and a rich history and culture, writes Elizabeth Gabay

- Elizabeth Gabay

Les Alpilles (“the little Alps”) is a small Provencal mountain range near the confluence of the Durance and Rhône rivers. Around 20 wine estates lie on the flanks of the brilliant white limestone mountain, home to the AOP (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) of Les Baux-deProvence (243ha and all organic), the Alpilles IGP, (Indication Géographique Protégée, a quality category between Vin de France and AOC) and the western edge of AOP Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence.

In varying proportions, across these three appellations, the reds are made up primarily of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, often complemented by lots of Grenache, as well as more rarely Mourvedre and Cinsault. Rosés are mostly produced from Grenache, while the whites come from Grenache Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Rolle, Ugni Blanc, Clairette, Roussanne and Marsanne grapes.

The area is steeped in history. The hilltop castle of Les Baux overlooks the strategic north-south and east-west routes, and at the foot of the craggy hilltop lie the remains of the Roman town of Glanum. Throughout medieval times, Les Baux was a fiercely independent and ambitious principality, fighting against the dominance of the local county of Provence. Close to the Rhône valley and the cities of Aix and Avignon, it had its own centre of courtly love and literature. The mountain pass across the Alpilles, known as the Val d'Enfer (“Valley of Hell”) was immortalised by Dante.

The city of St Rémy, to the northwest of the Alpilles range, is a prosperous market town reached from the east by a long treelined avenue (following the original Roman road, the Via Aurelia), surrounded by oak forests interspersed with vineyards. The medieval heart of the city is enclosed by stone walls, surrounded by gracious 18th- and 19th-century houses, all built with the luminous creamy white local limestone.