In the glass
Aroma: quince, honeysuckle, yellow apple, beeswax
Palate: pear, saline mineral, lemon zest, long honeyed finish
Bottled from pre-phylloxera ungrafted Romorantin vines planted in 1850. The world reference for this rare Touraine grape, with quince, beeswax and saline length built for ageing.
What it pairs with
-
Roast chicken with morels
Mushroom and the wine's honeyed beeswax register align. -
Veal blanquette
Cream sauce and the wine's pear-and-saline length are mutually flattering. -
Aged Comte 30 months
Crystalline nutty cheese sharpens the wine's mineral length.
History
Provignage is bottled from a single parcel of ungrafted Romorantin planted in 1850, escaping phylloxera on the sandy Sologne soils. Henry Marionnet propagated the vines via layering (provignage), the technique giving the cuvee its name.
- 1850 — Romorantin parcel planted on sand soils, ungrafted
- 1999 — First vintage of Provignage bottled
Facts
- Producer
- Domaine Henry Marionnet
- Grapes
- Romorantin (100%)
- Classification
- Vin de France
- Oak
- Tank-aged on lees for 10 to 12 months, no oak
- ABV
- 13.0%
- Price
- EUR 60 to 95 at retail
- Drinking window
- 5 to 20 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1999
- Organic
- ORGANIC CERTIFIED
- Vegan
- Yes (no animal-derived fining)
Scores
- Wine Advocate 94 (2017 vintage, reviewed 2020)
- Vinous 93 (2019 vintage, reviewed 2022)
Frequently asked about Provignage
What does Provignage taste like?
Quince, honeysuckle, yellow apple and beeswax on the nose; pear, saline mineral, lemon zest and a long honeyed finish on the palate. Full-bodied with high acidity.
When should I drink Provignage?
Drink between 5 and 20 years from vintage. Serve at 11 to 13C; the ungrafted old vines give the wine remarkable ageing capacity.
What food pairs with Provignage?
Roast chicken with morels, veal blanquette, and aged Comte 30 months are all canonical matches.
What grapes are in Provignage?
100 percent Romorantin, the rare native Touraine grape, from a single parcel of ungrafted vines planted in 1850 on sand soils at Domaine de la Charmoise.