TERREBRUNE, THE TERROIR AND NOTHING BUT THE TERROIR.

And just like that, the holidays are already over and the back-to-school season is creeping in with its share of worries…

No matter, it's the same every year — and as far as we're concerned, the batteries are well and truly recharged!

To kick things off in style, we're shining a light on a domaine we were lucky enough to visit this summer and that we ADORE, the domaine deTERREBRUNE.

35 hectares located in the BANDOL vineyard, and more precisely on the Trias massif, with its exceptional clay-limestone terroir that gives these wines all their typicity.

This domaine, founded in 1963 by Georges Delille, is now run by his son Reynald Delille and Jean d'Arthuys, with the same guiding principle: respect for nature, no chemicals and as little intervention as possible, to allow this unique Bandol terroir to express itself fully in the wines.

But let's come back to the title of our piece — what exactly is terroir? The word is notoriously difficult to translate into other languages. It's not simply a soil or a subsoil; it's a whole: "It refers to a region (territory) from which a typical agricultural product (crop, livestock) originates, born of the unique conjunction of cultural factors (techniques and know-how) and natural ones (geology, pedology, climate, exposure, microbiology).

In short, if this land makes it possible to produce remarkable wines, it's thanks to those who work it, cultivate it and improve it — "simply" by respecting it.

Now let's talk a little about the wines, because that's what we're here for…

The domaine has always operated the same way since its founding — resisting the trend for single-plot wines, they make one red, one rosé and one white.

Let's start with the red wine. Here, the reigning grape variety is mourvèdre — a notoriously capricious cépage that this estate has managed to tame with rare mastery. The red is 85% mourvèdre, with 15% grenache and 5% cinsault.

It is also worth noting that one of TERREBRUNE's great strengths is its willingness to wait several years before releasing its wines — the red in particular — sometimes up to 5 years, in order to bring to market wines that are notably "ready to drink." This is extremely rare and particularly commendable.

Their red wines are marked by great elegance and finesse, while offering a beautiful structure and well-integrated tannins.

On the pairing side, the red will go perfectly with a fine aged côte de boeuf with grenailles & girolles and its reduced jus, on the September HABILE menu.

On to the rosé. We stay with a blend of 60% mourvèdre, 20% grenache and 20% cinsault. The result is a rosé with a fruity character that holds up beautifully at the table, alongside fish, white meat or even lightly spiced octopus.

Finally, the white wine is a subtle blend of regional grape varieties such as clairette, ugni blanc, bourboulenc, rolle and marsanne. A wine with notes of exotic fruits and white flowers, coloured also by touches of fresh butter and citrus. On the palate it delivers a beautiful sense of salinity with noble bitterness, great freshness fed by the limestone terroir and, naturally, a seductive mineral thread — all within contours of exquisite roundness.

This wine will pair superbly with the mushrooms currently on the menu at HABILE.

Thanks to the richness of their terroir, all these wines have exceptional ageing potential, which allows us to cellar them without ever tiring of offering them to you right now for immediate pleasure.

In short, we are very proud to work with this human-scale estate, whose red, white and rosé allow us to elevate the authentic, seasonal cooking of our chef Eric Fontanini.

So, no back-to-school blues this year! Come by HABILE for a healthy dose of good vibes, authenticity, and seasonality. Your choice: the dining room or The Chef's Table for a tasting menu crafted directly with Eric.

We are open CONTINUOUSLY from 11am to 11pm Tuesday to Saturday at 16 rue de Lancry, Paris 10.