▸ Jar vs Barrel

▸ Accidental Elevage Tale

▸ Silky. Still Untamed.

Grenache began life in a 450-litre stoneware jar at Mars Wine Station’s Vieux-Port cellar; a sudden crack forced a barrel transfer. Jar micro-oxygenation plus light wood polish leaves vivid fruit, fresh balance and sand-fine tannin.

Marseille rarely makes wine, yet founders Lionel Boillot and Michel Assadourian run an urban cellar right on the Vieux-Port. This Grenache fermented in stoneware until the vessel cracked, then finished in barrel—a lucky mishap that defined its profile. Expect moderate body and powder-fine tannin rather than the usual southern heft.