Le Temps des Rêveurs
Heading east from Aix-en-Provence, one passes through the beautiful, sun-dappled countryside (made famous by the paintings of Cézanne and Van Gogh) and into the department of the Var and the tiny commune of Pourrières, where Jérôme Maillot has been quietly crafting some of the regions most unique and terroir-expressive wines since 2016 at his domaine, Le Temps des Rêveurs. After studying agriculture in Toulouse and working at several wineries in the Rhône Valley and Costières de Nîmes, Jérôme returned to his hometown to begin his project. In addition to vineyards passed down from his father, Jérôme planted a few hectares of vines using massale selection (plus some plantings of cereals, olive groves, and peach, fig, and persimmon trees for biodiversity) to bring the total area to 6.5ha. Jérôme's parcels are in a valley just south of the beautifully imposing Montagne Sainte-Victoire and benefit from strong winds that help ensure dry conditions in the summer and fall, making them ideal for organic and biodynamic viticulture. The vineyards are spread out over an array of soil types and planted to a mix of varieties (mostly Carignan Blanc and Noir, as well as Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, and Ugni Blanc) from which Jérôme produces a range of wines that are generally terroir and cépage-specific. All the wines are made without additives, except for a small amount of sulfur at bottling. While most wines from this region are made conventionally, Le Temps des Rêveurs shows the potential for real, terroir-expressive natural wines from this amazing and majestic area.
