Clos Sainte Magdeleine "Cassis Blanc" Cassis, France 2022

FROM KERMIT LYNCH THE WINE: Blanc has always been the focus since we began importing Clos Sainte Magdeleine’s wines in the late 1970s, with their fennel- and sea-salt-inflected Cassis setting the standard for Mediterranean whites. Ugni blanc, claudette, marsanne and sauvignon blanc make this a perfect match for shellfish. THE PRODUCER: The ancient fishing village of Cassis has seen its fair share of visitors over the millennia. Greek sailors from Phocaea established the nearby colony of Massalia (modern-day Marseille) in the sixth century BC, bringing their viticultural savvy to the region and planting what are thought to be Provence's first vineyards. The Romans later made their way here, establishing Cassis as an important fishing and commercial port while further developing the wine trade. Local wines earned an excellent reputation over the centuries, especially a sweet Muscat said to be among the Mediterranean's finest. In 1865, phylloxera struck, effectively destroying Provence's