Classification wines of Provence?

Hi

I am very unfamiliar with Provence wines.

I do know that about 90% of them are rosé, but I am unfortunately not a fan of these, although I very much like good rosé.

I got to thinking about Provence last night when I opened a 2015 red Château Roubine, a cru classé. This is a Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Carignan, and Syrah blend I bought for 10 euros a few weeks ago. The wine was earthy and herbaceous, and not very elegant, but it is always good to experiment and explore the wines of other regions. It went well with calf’s liver on a Saturday night.

This prompted me to look up the background of the “crus classes” in Provence.

It seems the classification dates from 1977, the same year that Provence was upgraded from VDQS to AOC status. Twenty-three out of 300 estates (at the time) were designated, even though people in Bordeaux objected to the use of the term “cru classé”.
In fact an earlier classification had been made during the war (1943).

As in Bordeaux, the Provence classification is controversial, for many of the same reasons (extension of vineyards, lack of revision, etc.).

Today, there are 18 crus classes because 5 of the original ones have disappeared.

I just wondered how you feel about Provence wines, and what you make of the classification there.

Best regards,
Alex R.