Winemaker Notes
Very fruity (strawberry, cherry, currant, pink grapefruit and tangerine) floral and delicate on the nose. On the palate, round and fresh.
Try with fish, white meats, shellfish and spicy Asian dishes.
Blend: 60% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 15% Syrah, 10% Clairette
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Deeply concentrated and penetrating with blackberry and black cherry flavors, this pale ruby rosé offers the zesty fruit character that rosé lovers demand alongside an intensity and structure craved by red wine drinkers. A touch more spry than the producer's more richly concentrated La Reine des Bois, it's a delicately spiced, pepper-edged rosé that can be enjoyed year-round.
Editors' Choice -
Decanter
Full-bodied, with a touch of sweetness to the fruit. There's a lot of chew to the texture - this has presence and minerality. Gently chalky touch on the finish. Also contains 10% Syrah, 5% Bourboulenc and 5% Clairette.
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.