Winemaker Notes
Delicious with shellfish, salad and poultry.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Concentrated raspberry and strawberry notes mark the nose fo the 2017 Tavel. This medium to full-bodied effort is bursting with ripe fruit and boasts a rich, silky mouthfeel and a long, lingering finish. An elegant undercurrent of crushed stone provides balance and savoriness, making this a terrific, balanced Tavel.
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Wine Enthusiast
Juicy, mouthwatering blackberry and cherry flavors abound in this exuberantly fruity yet elegant rosé. While plush and full on the palate, it's dry and briskly balanced, with a firm, mineral backbone. Fine, feathery tannins and a touch of sweet spice linger on the finish.
Editors' Choice
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.
The only all-rosé appellation in the Rhone, a Tavel comes in many hues from light salmon to bright pink and is said to be the only rosé that can actually age—and improve. The rosé wines of Tavel have a great historic reputation, having been favored by King Louis XIV in the 18th century, as well as famous authors, Balzac and Mistral.
Tavel are always dry but the high percentage of the fruity Grenache (30-60% of the blend by law) and even Cinsault, give charming aromas and flavors that make them feel "almost sweet." A great Tavel rosé will have a bouquet suggestive of rose petals, apricot, strawberry and red currant. The palate may be fleshy, round and layered but is always fresh and balanced.