Portraits of winemakers
Domaine Aspras, Correns: three generations of an organic vineyard in Côtes de Provence
Domaine Aspras, Correns: three generations of an organic vineyard in Côtes de Provence
Domaine Aspras is a 33-hectare organic family estate in Correns, in the Var, France's first 100% organic village. Founded in 1961 by Gottfried and Lisa Latz, the estate is today run by Michael Latz and his family, who craft elegant and mineral Côtes de Provence wines across three signature cuvées, available for direct purchase on Avenue des Vins.
How would you describe Domaine Aspras ?
An organic estate in Correns, France's first 100% organic village, in the heart of the Var
Some estates manage to express, across just a few hectares, an entire way of seeing the world. Domaine Aspras is one of them. In Correns, a village in the Var recognised as France's first 100% organic village, the Latz family's 33 hectares of vines are not simply a vineyard. They are a statement of intent.
Founded in 1961 by Gottfried and Lisa Latz, the estate grew around a deep-rooted conviction: that the land deserves to be treated with respect, and that the wine it produces necessarily carries the mark of that commitment. Three generations on, the identity of the estate has not changed. It has simply grown deeper.
"Our sustainable and community-minded commitment defines our authentic Provençal identity."
When did you catch the wine bug ?
A bereavement, a vocation, and a promise made to his mother Lisa
For Michael Latz, entering the world of wine was not a light choice. It came with the weight of a moment that changes a life. In 1971, he is 19 years old. His father Gottfried dies prematurely. The family estate, acquired ten years earlier, is still there — with its vines, its responsibilities, and his mother Lisa carrying on.
Trained as an agricultural engineer, Michael was not destined to become a winegrower. But something in this Provençal terroir, in the continuity of what his parents had started, kept him there. What might have been nothing more than an obligation became a passion, then a mission.
"The vine became my passion and my mission of transmission."
What philosophy guides your work in the vineyard and the cellar ?
Organic farming as a given: horses, sheep, and absolute respect for the terroir of Correns
At Aspras, organic farming is not a marketing argument. It is a work ethic that goes back to the very origins of the estate and that, in Correns, is part of something larger than the domaine itself.
In the vineyards, the choices are radical and consistent. Composts are natural. Horses plough the land. Sheep weed between the rows. Every intervention is aimed at feeding the soil rather than forcing it. The terroir of Correns, which Michael readily describes as "blessed by the gods", does not need to be pushed. It simply needs to be listened to.
"Absolute respect for the soil and the terroir, in pursuit of sustainable development. An alchemy at blending time to best express this terroir blessed by the gods."
In the cellar, the same rigour runs through the blending process: each cuvée is built to reveal a particular facet of the estate, with that constant pursuit of elegance and minerality that defines the wines of Aspras.
What memory has marked you most at the estate ?
Passing the torch to the third generation: Raphaël, Sébastien and Alexandre
In a life devoted to the vine, vintages come and go, seasons follow one another. But some moments go beyond the simple memory of a harvest. For Michael Latz, the most powerful memory is that of transmission, the day his three sons, Raphaël, Sébastien and Alexandre, each stepped into the life of the estate in their own right.
Three boys born between 1976 and 1980, three different temperaments, one shared house. This passing of the torch was not a formality, it was the culmination of everything Michael had built since the founding bereavement of 1971. Watching the third generation take hold of the estate with their own convictions is the confirmation that something lasting has been created.
Which cuvée best represents Domaine Aspras ?
Les Trois Frères, Côtes de Provence: a family wine built for the table
If one cuvée had to capture Domaine Aspras in a single bottle, it would be Les Trois Frères without hesitation. The name says everything: it is a wine dedicated to Raphaël, Sébastien and Alexandre, the estate's third generation. A family tribute and a wine of terroir in equal measure, elegant and refined, carrying within it the continuity of a whole story.
"It perfectly embodies our family transmission and our unique terroir."
For Michael, this cuvée finds its ideal moment in summer, around a Provençal barbecue, grilled meats and salad, in that direct and generous relationship to the pleasure of the table that defines the wines of the Var. No excessive ceremony: just the right bottle, at the right moment, among the right people.
What are your ambitions for the years ahead ?
Making Correns an ambassador village for the white wines of Provence
The project is precise and rooted in the territory: to make Correns a point of reference for the white wines of Provence, both in terms of quality and recognition. In a region still strongly associated with rosé, this is an ambitious wager, and one that is entirely coherent with the personality of the estate.
Because at Aspras, white wine is not a concession to the market. It is a conviction. Rolle, the quintessential Provençal grape variety, is Michael Latz's variety of choice, the one that, in his view, best expresses the minerality and freshness of the Correns terroir. It is on this grape, and on this village, that the future of the estate is being written.
At a glance: Domaine Aspras
- Estate: Aspras
- Winemaker: Michael Latz
- Location: Correns, Var - France's first 100% organic village
- Appellation: AOC Côtes de Provence
- Vineyard: 33 hectares
- Founded: 1961 - 3rd generation family estate
- Farming: Certified organic - horses, sheep, natural composts
- Flagship grape: Rolle (Provençal white wines)
- Cuvées: A Lisa · Les Trois Frères · Licorne
- Signature cuvée: Les Trois Frères - a tribute to the three sons, Raphaël, Sébastien and Alexandre
- Favourite pairing: Provençal barbecue - grilled meats and summer salad
- Philosophy: Balance between humankind and nature
- One word for the estate: Balance
Discover the cuvées of Domaine Aspras directly on their Avenue des Vins page, organic wines from Correns crafted across three generations on the Côtes de Provence, shipped directly from the estate.