Châteauneuf-le-Rouge.

Châteauneuf-le-Rouge sits among vineyards of the Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence appellation, on gentle slopes that climb toward the limestone ridge of Sainte-Victoire. The mountain, painted repeatedly by Paul Cézanne, whose studio lies in nearby Aix-en-Provence, rises above the vines and shapes the light across the valley below. Growers here work both red and rosé grapes, and local cellars open for tastings through the year, busiest around the September harvest. The village keeps a working rhythm: stone houses line cypress-shaded lanes, and olive groves fill the gaps between the vine rows. Paths leading out from the centre connect to the wider network of trails that wrap around Sainte-Victoire's lower slopes. The vineyard calendar — not the tourist season — sets the rhythm of the year here.