La Cave du Luberon, Coustellet.

 

 

The old buildings have stood empty for years.

We have the great good fotune to have friends with a house in the Luberon who generously invite us evey year.

In perhaps 30 visits we have seen the wines of the Luberon go from the obscure (plonk) to the category of 'really rather good.'

Architecture admired in its time.

 

So it was always a bit incongruous to see the massive abandoned building of the old Cooperative Vinicole at Coustellet dating back to 1923.

 

With the 'Really rather good' phase came new buildings. We had visited once or twice in recent years but the cooperative's reputation has dissuaded us from tasting, let alone buying anything. In any case the wines didn't look very interesting with various combinations of the 'usual suspect' grape varieties of the Southern Rhone at elevated alcohol values.

The wines drunk by locals looking for something superior are not from here. They include producers not affiliated to the cooperative such as La Canorgue, Domaine de La Royere,  Domaine de la Citadelle, Chateau La Verrerie and Ridley Scott's Mas des Infermieres.

So feeling sympathy for the underdogs at the cooperative we thought we'd give them a chance.  

We should have done this properly and tasted our way through the range but we were not sure of the protocol: was payment required and if not, how many wines could we taste for free? Our of cowardice more than anything (and also because we were driving) we selected just two wines to taste, both with the lowest alcohol of the range. There was also a heatwave on (37 degrees) and these wines were more appealing than the other much stronger ones.

 

Grenache Blanc

10.5%

 

60% Carignan, 40% Grenache

11.5%

These two wines were deliciously refreshing. We don't denigrate such wines in these pages. We never use phrases such as 'easy drinking,' 'Gluggable,' 'Vin des copains' etc. We reckon the virtues these phrases are trying to evoke shouldn't be in any sense pejorative.

The marketing and art work on these wines seems inexplicable. The last thing these wines suggest to us are Tom Boy and Bad Boy. Again we imagine thse monnikers could only have been dreamt up by people under pressure to come up with something - anything and perhaps having knocked back several bottles for 'inspiration.'

So on this evidence, we would say that the Cooperative is doing good work and the vignerons and consumers of the Luberon can be happy. 

From the Cave's website; 

Founded in 1923, this wine cooperative is the result of the passionate work of 100 producers who cultivate vines spread across the Luberon massifs (Maubec, Oppède, Ménerbes) and the Monts de Vaucluse (Cabrières d'Avignon, Gordes). It is distinguished by its commitment to producing environmentally friendly wines, offering a diverse range of AOP Luberon and Ventoux, IGP Méditerranée, and organic wines.

The wines

La Cave du Luberon sells only wines from its terroirs in the Luberon (northern slope of the massif) and Ventoux (southern slopes of the Monts de Vaucluse). Among their best-selling wines, the wines “Les Bories” (red, white, rosé), “ALIDON” (red, white, rosé), and “Les Promises” (red) stand out. You can even discover and purchase these wines online, making it easier to access these exceptional products.

Innovation and quality

Cave du Luberon stands out for its advanced technological approach and its skilled team, dedicated to producing exceptional wines. With nighttime harvests to preserve the freshness of the grapes, the winery is equipped with modern facilities: four pneumatic presses, stainless steel and coated concrete vats, state-of-the-art pumps, and a high-performance cooling system. The careful attention paid to inerting at each stage of production guarantees the superior quality of its wines. In addition, the winery has a state-of-the-art vinification cellar for red wines, where aging takes place in concrete vats or, for certain special vintages, in a barrel cellar.