The Côtes de Provence Fréjus dénomination de terroir was created in 2005, in the easternmost area of the Côtes de Provence appellation. It covers 235ha of foothills of the volcanic Massif de l'Esterel to the south-east and the Massif des Maures to the south west, roughly following the banks of the Argens river estuary to the Gorges de Pennafort stretching northwards from the Esclans valley to Callas. The Colle du Rouët, a volcanic outcrop of
haracteristically red ochre, rises above to 560m over the northern stretches. Much of this area was planted with commercial vineyards only after the forests were cleared by wildfires during the early twentieth century. Although firmly a maritime-influenced area, most vineyards lie several kilometres inland, and it is extremely rare to see the sea from them.
Most of the wine is produced as generic Côtes de Provence, with only 13ha declared Côtes de Provence Fréjus, by eight producers. Of this, ‘only' 78% is
rosé, including Château Paquette and Château du Rouët, who are both active in promoting local typicity. Unusually for Provence, no white grapes are allowed in the rosé, and 20% of plantings must be Tibouren. Many producers cite the high percentage of Tibouren required by the cahier des charges as an obstacle
to using the denomination. Tibouren is often quite evident in the blends. The rosés are known for being more closed when young, and having good ageing potential. Accordingly, they can only be released after 5 months of age (versus 3 months for Côtes de Provence). The Mediterranean creates a very special climate for the Fréjus region. The sea simultaneously cools through breezes and creates a warm mesoclimate. It has amongst the highest rainfall in Provence and more tropical vegetation - palm trees are not uncommon! That being said, due to the shape of the coastline, it also stretches the furthest north of the coastal wine making areas, and is noticeably cooler than areas to the south-west, quickly cooling as one ventures inland.
## Vallée des Esclans
The Vallée des Esclans (‘Esclans Valley') is a small valley running north from Le
Muy, entirely within the Fréjus area. It is home to several estates, all sharing
variations on the ‘Esclans' name: Château d'Esclans (which has recently bought
neighbouring Grand Esclans), Domaine Saint Roman d'Esclans, Domaine SaintMichel d'Esclans (renamed in 2004 as the Château des Demoiselles) and the Cru
Classé Jas d'Esclans, none of which bottle a Fréjus-denomination rosé. The
valley stretches from its confluence with the Argens close to sea level up to the
highest vines at an altitude of about 250m, with the northernmost vines in a
semi-continental climate. Provence's characteristic red clay soils dominate the
entire valley. Château du Rouët is just at the entrance to the Esclans valley, with
greater maritime influence than estates further up the valley.
Just to the west, on the other side of the Colle du Rouët, lies Château d'Esclans,
the northernmost and highest altitude estate within the valley. Most of the
vines face south-west. The valley's most distinctive feature is the view over the
rocky outcrop of Roquebrune, which, as its name suggests, is brown or dark red.
The three wines of Château d'Esclans (Château d'Esclans, Les Clans, Garrus)
cannot carry the Côtes de Provence Fréjus dénomination due to their high
proportion of white grapes and absence of Tibouren. Garrus and Les Clans are
both made with Grenache, with much of Garrus‘s fruit coming from old vines in
the Garrus parcel, and Rolle. The oak character is far more evident in the Les
Clans. Château has Syrah added to the blend, giving it extra black fruit
character. Rock Angel is part estate, part négociant, while Whispering Angel,
The Pale and The Beach come from the négociant side of the business, Cave
d'Esclans, from fruit grown across Provence. In 2020, half of the d'Esclans
business was bought by industry giant LVMH, confirming the importance of
Provence rosé in the luxury wine market, and a complete takeover is due from
202