Famille Negrel Wines

The Negrel Family is one of the oldest families of winemakers in Provence. They have been running the Mas de Cadenet Estate since 1813. This prestigious Estate belongs to the Côtes de Provence Sainte Victoire Designated Area. The Mas de Cadenet is located in a breathtaking landscape at the bottom of the Sainte Victoire Mountain, near Aix-en-Provence.

TL;DR

• The Negrel Family is one of the oldest families of winemakers in Provence. They have been running the Mas de Cadenet Estate since 1813.
• Using the best terroirs of Provence they vinify, blend and mature their wines according to the “Negrel style”
• Organic farming is also an ethic that comes from respecting the work of past generations and the love of future generations who will inherit these lands

This scenery was a never-ending inspiration for the Master of Impressionism, Paul Cézanne. So we could say that the “picture perfect” Estate is like a painting! The vine is inextricably linked to the land’s History as demonstrated by the fragments of amphorae dating back to Roman Times found on the property.

But the history of the Mas de Cadenet starts in 1813 when the Negrel Family acquires the Estate. The Mas de Cadenet is emblematic of Provence. It is a longstanding “Love Story” between a family and its land. Today Guy Negrel runs the Estate with the help of his children Maud and Matthieu Negrel. In the spring of 2011, Maud & Matthieu Negrel created a new entity: “Famille Negrel”. Using the best terroirs of Provence they vinify, blend and mature their wines according to the “Negrel style”.

They wish to express the « House style », the personal taste of the family which made the reputation of the Estate. But above all, they want their wine to reflect the variety and the nuances of the terroirs of Provence. Family Négrel offers wines from different vineyards of Provence:

• HORIZON – IGP Méditerranée
• NUIT BLANCHE / DIAMANT / BAIES DES ANGES – AOP Côtes de Provence
• ORIGINE / HERITAGE – AOP Côtes de Provence Sainte Victoire
• PETITE REINE – AOP Bandol
• INSTANT ETERNEL – Sparking wine

The vineyard is on a south-facing plateau, 250 meters above sea level. Five hectares are in the Côtes de Provence Appellation and forty hectares are on the subappellation Côtes de Provence of Sainte Victoire. The Mas de Cadenet produces 60% of rosé wines, 30% of red wines and 10% of white wines. The grape varieties grown in the vineyard are Rolle, Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault and Cabernet-Sauvignon. The yield of the vines is naturally kept low and ensures high quality wines (45hl/ha on average). The Négrel family strongly believes that organic farming is the most appropriate way to express the minerality and nuances of its terroir. The family cultivates the vine with respect so that the terroir can deliver to the wine all its finesse, its density and its minerality. Their actions stem from empirical reflections and a pragmatism founded in the observation of the living. Organic farming is also an ethic that comes from respecting the work of past generations and the love of future generations who will inherit these lands. The notion of “family domain” makes sense here.

“We do not inherit the land of our parents, we borrow it from our children”.

Viticulture and winemaking are here certified organic by the “Bureau Veritas”. The label involves mechanical work on soils, biological treatments for vines, animal manures, minimum inputs in the wine.