Winemaker Notes
A bold, intense pink color that falls in the deeper pink spectrum. Classic Provence. Floral, clean, fresh berries first then followed by fresh herbs and flowers – like walking through a Provence lavender field on an early summer morning. The harmony of bright acidity, rich texture and dry finish show the completeness of this wine. Creamy strawberry notes up front and lingering flavors of fresh basil, thyme, lavender.
Pairs well with classic roasted chicken with lemon and Herbs de Provence, grilled lobster. An incredible wine for the holiday table with its visual appeal and ability to pair with a variety of challenging Thanksgiving and holiday dishes.
Blend: 50% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 20% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Another pale rosé in the Berne stable, the 2017 Cotes de Provence Rose Inspiration is a bit more restrained in its aromatics than the other bottlings. It still offers melon and peach scents, but they're reined in by hints of crushed stone. It's medium-bodied, with a creamy texture on the palate that lets the flavors linger smoothly on the finish, picking up mouthwatering hints of lime and grapefruit zest.
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.
Cotes de Provence is an extensive but valuable appellation that includes vineyards bordering the main Provencal appellations. Its sites vary from subalpine hills, which receive the cooling effects of the mountains to the north, to the coastal St-Tropez, a region mainly influenced by the warm Mediterranean sunshine.
Here the focus is on quality rosé, as it defines four fifths of the region’s wines. Following in the rosé footsteps, a lot of new effort is going into the region’s red production as well. A new generation has turned its focus on high quality Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Carignan. Cotes de Provence white wines, which represent a miniscule part of the region as far as volume, are nonetheless worthy of consideration and can include any combination of Clairette, Semillon, Ugni Blanc and Vermentino.