Winemaker Notes
Corail is the domaine’s rosé and it has classic Provençal characteristics. Pale coral color with a delicately spicy nose of citrus fruits, lively on the palate with notes of white fruits, citrus and a hint of fennel. Clean and refreshing finish.
A rosé for every occasion and any meal.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made from a certified-organic blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Mourvèdre, Clairette and Rolle, the 2019 Cotes de Provence Rose Corail is a bit darker-hued than most of its peers. Crushed stone and ground spices mark the nose, alongside hints of red berries and citrus. It's light to medium-bodied, with ample complexity, a gentle, silky texture and a long, spice-driven, savory finish. It's not a typical Cotes de Provence rosé, but it's better for it, showing some distinctive character.
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Wine & Spirits
A perennial standout, Corail is on point in 2019, with subtle scents of rose petals and salt air, and tangy, fresh strawberry flavor. Raimond de Villeneuve blends it from a range of grapes (syrah, grenache, carignan, cinsault and mourvèdre, as well as vermentino and clairette), all farmed biodynamically at his estate on the edge of Bandol
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.