2023 AixQuise Blanc Coteaux d'Aix en Provence 750 ml

We’ve got our friend Antoine to thank. 

Antoine’s the kind of behind-the-scenes fixer who connects growers, negociants, winemakers, and retailers—and his roots in Provence go deep. Turns out he’d gotten wind of a fabulous micro-cuvée from a traditional, highly regarded house in Aix-en-Provence. 

Aix is Rosé country, but when we met up with Antoine, he greeted us with the 2023 AixQuise Blanc. It’s the kind of Provence white that, while commonly seen wetting the whistles of thirsty tourists and locals in France’s Midi, is a bit of a rarity here in the States. 

What a perfect match for a bright, sunny day and a seafood tower. Pale lemon in appearance, it’s got bright, exuberant aromas of freshly-peeled Mandarin orange, white flowers, young pineapple, ripe mango, lemon zest, crushed chalk, fresh white peach, and thyme. Juicy and lush on the palate, the wine rides on a backbone of gorgeous acidity, carrying flavors of fresh sage, grapefruit, guava, and crushed salty stones. 

AixQuise was founded in the 1920s. Grown on breeze-cooled vineyards at the foot of Mont Sainte Victoire, their wines are informed by a wealth of generational knowledge, as well as unforgiving mistral winds and the hot Mediterranean sun. The result are wines of beautiful vibrancy, freshness, persistence, and site-specificity. 

Antoine, on our behalf, snagged our modest share of cases away from an iconic resort in the French Riviera. So instead of being sipped by a high-roller paying 1,000 euros per night and hoping to glimpse Vincent Cassel at the bar, it became a stunning Wine Access direct-import coup.