Commanderie de la Bargemone    

Commanderie

This term refers to centers of the Knights Templar, an order founded in 1118 as ‘The Poor Knights of the Temple’. Over time this order became the bankers of Christian Europe and a huge financial and military power. They effectively invented the credit card! They became so rich and powerful that in 1312 the Pope dissolved the order and their leader was burned at the stake (the Pope didn’t like the competition).

Commanderie de la Bargemone

The original building is about 1000 years old. The Templars built their Commanderie on its foundations. The name ‘Bargemone’ comes from a wealthy noble family of Provence who owned it for several hundred years. It passed from their declining hands in the 1800’s. In 1903 an earthquake severely damaged the main building. The owning family had few resources and soon its vineyards succumbed to phylloxera. A proud almost thousand year tradition of viticulture ended – temporarily.

In 1973 Jean-Pierre Rozan, a French industrialist, purchased the property, restored the Commanderie and replanted the vineyards.

Jean-Pierre Rozan

His life is the stuff of legend. As a 15 year old High School student in northern France, he was eating lunch at home with his parents (left wing teachers) when the Nazis burst in shooting. His parents were cut down. Jean-Pierre dove through the kitchen window to the backyard woods, made his way across all of France and joined the Resistance in Provence. Four years later he marched into Berlin as a 19 year old Captain in the French Army, leading a company of 100 men.

He returned to Provence and apprenticed himself to an old man who made the zinc bars used in French cafes. When his boss retired he took over his business. 25 years later he owned smelters, refineries and mines and was named one of France’s 10 richest men. He lived in Paris but bought Bargemone to have a base near his metal workings.

The Claude ‘n Claudine show

Although the family that sold to him was in reduced circumstances they still had a salaried

couple who helped care for the house and grounds. That couple’s son, Claude Marriottini, showed

talent as a gardener. Jean-Pierre sent him to the local winegrowing school as he replanted the vineyard. Claude remains in charge today, assisted by Pierre Deshors, an energetic young university graduate. Pierre has better academic credentials than Claude but knows that Claude has a lot to teach him.

In 1979 Jean-Pierre had a total of 50,000 cases of wine (the entire production from the first 3 years) and no marketing plan. He met Claudine Kargere, at the time selling magazine advertising, and hired her. From a base in a few mid-level Paris restaurants Claudine has expanded sales to French supermarkets and restaurant chains, and exports to several countries, notably the U.S. Production is now close to 50,000 cases a year and Claudine sells every drop herself. Hundreds of Americans who have met Claudine have been charmed by her energy and grace. Jean-Pierre Rozan’s successes have in large part been due to his talent at hiring and keeping remarkable people to work for him.

The Commanderie Today

The Commanderie de la Bargemone is the most beautiful private home I have ever seen. The guest house at Bargemone is the second most beautiful private home I have ever seen. Customers of Hand Picked Selections are always welcome for a tasting, often (depending on schedules) for a tour and sometimes for a meal or even a stay.

While Jean-Pierre Rozan continues to live most of his life in Paris guests at the Commanderie often have the pleasure of being hosted by Jean-Pierre’s wife, Elisabeth. This remarkable and gracious lady is from an old noble Breton family. Fluent in five languages, she oversees the property with elegance, even when you catch her with garden dirt under her fingernails, hands covered with soapy water from bathing the dogs or covered with flour from baking.

The Wines

Provence is Rose country and this accounts for about 2/3 of production. It is a classic, mainstream Provence Rose, as refreshing as any wine in the world and the beverage of choice with almost any Provençal meal. Made from equal parts of Grenache and Cinsault, spiced with Syrah, it is bottled young and stays fresh for several years although most is consumed within 12 months of bottling.

There are two reds, a regular bottling and a top ‘Tournebride’. The regular wine is usually pure Grenache, given about a year each of tank and bottle age. It is redolent of the herbs and hillsides of Provence, rustic and smooth at the same time. The top ‘Tournebride’ always incorporates a lot of Cabernet, in various blends with Syrah, Grenache and sometimes Cinsault. It gets a year of barrel age and a year in bottle before release.