Many treasures in this life are hidden in plain sight. The South of France is a place where wine is as common as air. Few vignerons in the region make the artful vintage that transcends the everyday table, But the ones that do make a drink that is a sublime expression of the region are some of the best wines in the country.

Located just two and a half miles outside of Aix-en-Provence, in the tiny AOC of Palette, Château Simone is one such hidden trove of growers, the Rougier family having been quietly making wine for two centuries. The vineyards here are a north-facing limestone amphitheater, a sloping bowl on the edge of Mont. St-Victoire. An herb-scented grove of pines surrounds the vines, protecting them from the ferocity of the mistral and accentuating the biodiversity of the grounds. The Arc River runs through the château, cooling the air and adding the final ideal factor contributing to fruit that is rich and flavorful. Jean-François Rougier is the seventh generation vigneron running the show at Château Simone, following traditions begun by his great-grandfather, Jean. Jean (the great- grandfather) took cuttings from old vines (selection massale) after the Phylloxera blight and planted them, tending to them organically decades before the practice was common. Some of the vines here are almost 100 years old, their fruit lending to the gravitas and old soul of some of France’s most timeless wines.