Chateau Routas Rouviere Rose 2008
-
Wine &
Spirits
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine & Spirits
An hour’s drive north of Bandol, Chateau Routas is run by Sir David Murray, a Scottish industrialist who purchased the 642-acre estate in 2005. This mouthwatering rose-a blend of cabernet sauvignon, syrah, cinsault and Grenache-is juicy yet elegant, with a orange and cherry flavors carried in a clean line by vibrant acidity. Bring out the saline undertones with a bacon-infused clam risotto.
The 642-acre property includes 135 acres of strategically planted vineyard parcels that create a mosaic throughout the rocky, heavily-wooded terrain in this unspoiled, high-elevation sector of Provence. Some vineyard sites have soils that are red as crushed brick, while others consist of crumbly grey limestone mixed with pockets of iron-rich, red clay, and stones that reflect the hot summer sun.
At 1,300 feet above sea level, the elevation is among the appellation's highest, providing cool nights that slow the ripening of the grapes, contributing fresh notes, good color and complexity, plus dictating harvest dates that are up to a month later than other estates. The estate also encompasses dense woods, olive trees, and oak trees hiding black truffles. Bright red poppies grow alongside brilliant yellow sunflowers, and the surrounding forests hide a substantial number of wild boars?– which are unfortunately a little too fond of the Routas grapes come harvest time.
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.