Southeast France, Mediterranean coast. Cultural heartland of Provençal rosé (Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah; pale salmon; world's best-selling rosé style) and the spiritual home of pastis — the anise-flavoured spirit that replaced absinthe after the 1915 ban. Marseille is the pastis capital: Ricard headquarters, boules on the Prado, the ritual of the afternoon pastis. The connection: pastis sits in the Mediterranean anise family alongside ouzo (Greece), arak (Lebanon), raki (Turkey), and sambuca (Italy) — all sharing anethole as the defining molecule.
| Year | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 88 | Balanced season; good Mistral influence during harvest kept freshness in the wines. Excellent aromatic precision in rosé. |
| 2022 | 86 | Extreme drought and heat; lowest yields in decades but exceptional concentration in surviving fruit. Powerful, structured wines. |
| 2021 | 84 | Cooler, more classic season with good natural acidity; elegant, refined wines with characteristic Provence minerality. |
| 2020 | 87 | Hot, dry conditions produced generous, full-bodied wines; highest quality in the Coteaux d'Aix. Bold red wines with good cellaring potential. |
| 2019 | 89 | Warm season with some late summer heat; very good concentration and aromatic intensity. One of the finest rosé vintages of the decade. |
| 2018 | 92 | Near-perfect conditions; warm, dry summer with cooling Mistral winds preventing excess heat stress. Elegant, concentrated rosé and red wines of exceptional quality. |