While great rosé is made all over the world, Provence is where they've mastered the style so many folks find appealing; lots of minerality, good fruit, and a crisp finish. Typically made from the traditional southern French grapes Syrah, Grenache, and Cinsault, these are also generally very affordable wines.
I, for one, encourage rosé consumption year-round, but it certainly is enjoyable to cool off with a glass of rosé in the summer heat. And the fact that these are "red wines in a white wine's body" make them amazing to pair with a range of foods, from lobster to a cookout hot dog.
At a recent tasting sponsored by Vins de Provence, "The Taste of Style," I enjoyed a lovely array of the following rosés (there were some whites and reds from the region as well, and I couldn't help but include one DELISH white below.) Enjoy!
2016 Château Barbanau L'Instant Rosé (Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah) (Winery is Organic and Biodynamic.)
V pale onion skin. Herby, spicy, white pear, tasty, good balance, ticks fruit and complexity boxes. Quaffable. ~$20 WM: 89
2016 Château Barbanau La Girafe Verte Rosé (Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah)
V pale onion skin. Great herbs on nose; tarragon, basil, menthol. Nice fruit, cheeky. ~$18 WM: 92
2016 Mirabeau en Provence Pure Rosé (Grenache, Syrah)
V v pale onion skin. Light fragrant nose, minerally, elegant, clean, good present acidity. ~$25 WM: 90
2016 Mirabeau en Provence Étoile Rosé (Grenache, Syrah)
V v pale silvery onion skin. Fruit forward, peach, melon, good grip, clean and minerally. ~$35 WM: 91
2016 Cep d'Or Rosé (Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah)
V pale pink, light but great tastiness and fruit through the finish, green herbs too. ~$16 WM: 88
2016 Château L'Arnaude Cuvée Nuit Blanche Rosé (Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, Carignan)
V pale peach, good floral perfume, red berries, very dry, a little bitter. ~$NA WM: 86
2016 Château de Pampelonne Rosé (Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Tibouren)
V pale pink, nice florals, stemmy nose, tasty, elegant, good berries on finish, nice. ~$21 WM: 90
2016 Mas de Pampelonne Rosé (Neighbor of ^) (Grenache, Cinsault, Tibouren)
V v pale salmon, great nose, florals and berry fruit, minerally, stemmy. ~$18 WM: 89
2016 Fleur de Mer Rosé (Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan)
V pale pink. Raspberry, strawberry, bitter-ish but well-balanced. Tangy minerality. Nice. ~$18 WM: 89
2015 Château Sainte Marguerite Ikon Rosé (Cinsault, Grenache)
V pale onion skin, florals, ripe melon, cherry, slurp. ~$NA WM: 90
2016 Domaine du Dragon Grande Cuvée Rosé (Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Sra, Rolle)
V pale pink. V floral, nice, savory and spicy in mouth. Yum. ~$NA WM: 91
2016 Château Rêva Symphony Rosé (Grenache, Sra, Cinsault)
V pale pinky salmon, nice acidity, savory, tart red fruit. ~$NA WM: 89
And the DELICOUS white:
2016 Château Sainte Marguerite Symphony (Rolle)
Pale silvery-gold. Lemony nose, whiff of smoke. Tight and lemon-limey with great herb, tarragon. 7-UP-y Clean, tangy, grassy, herby, minerally, so delish. ~$27 WM: 93
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As the mercury continues hovering at the top of the thermometer, believe me, I'll be drinking a lot more rosé. Keep your eyes here for more posts on delicious rosés from all over the world! Post in the comments with your favorite rosés, from Provence or elsewhere. and share the wealth!
Cheers.
