Chateau de Pampelonne Cotes de Provence Rose 2011
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Other Vintages
2021-
Wong
Wilfred
-
Wong
Wilfred
-
Wong
Wilfred -
Enthusiast
Wine
- Decanter
-
Wong
Wilfred
-
Panel
Tasting -
Wong
Wilfred
-
Enthusiast
Wine
The magnificent 17th century Château de Pampelonne borders the famous French Riviera beach of the same name in the commune of Ramatuelle, near Saint Tropez. The estate has been in the Gasquet-Pascaud family since 1840, when it was purchased by Gasquet ancestor André Falcon, treasurer for Napoléon III. The current proprietor of this beautiful 400-acres domaine is Edgar Pascaud, and his daughter Marie who directs Pampelonne’s winemaking. Château de Pampelonne produces an excellent red wine and a modest amount of white wine, but it is the Côtes de Provence Rosé for which the estate is best known. In addition to the classic rosé grapes of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah, Pampelonne also uses Tibouren in the blend. This ancient Greek variety, now unique to this area of France, is valued for the aromatic intensity it lends to some of Provence’s finest rosés.
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.
More than just a European vacation hotspot and rosé capital of the world, Provence, in southeastern France, is a coastal appellation producing interesting wines of all colors. The warm, breezy Mediterranean climate is ideal for grape growing and the diverse terrain and soil types allow for a variety of wine styles within the region. Adjacent to the Rhône Valley, Provence shares some characteristics with this northwestern neighbor—namely, the fierce mistral wind and the plentiful wild herbs (such as rosemary, lavender, juniper and thyme) often referred to as garrigue. The largest appellation here is Côtes de Provence, followed by Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence.
Provence is internationally acclaimed for dry, refreshing, pale-hued rosé wines, which make up the vast majority of the region’s production. These are typically blends, often dominated by Mourvèdre and supplemented by Grenache, Cinsault, Tibouren and other varieties.
A small amount of full-bodied, herbal white wine is made here—particularly from the Cassis appellation, of Clairette and Marsanne. Other white varieties used throughout Provence include Roussane, Sémillon, Vermentino (known locally as Rolle) and Ugni Blanc.
Perhaps the most interesting wines of the region, however, are the red wines of Bandol. Predominantly Mourvèdre, these are powerful, structured, and ageworthy wines with lush berry fruit and savory characteristics of earth and spice.