Domaines Ott Chateau de Selle Cotes de Provence Rose (1.5L) 2017
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James
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Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Pale pink with golden tints. The nose opens with intense notes of citrus which evolve towards more floral and spicy aromas. The fresh and smooth palate displays a range of citrus notes combined with a touch of minerality which lingers on the soft and very persistent finish.
Located inland on limestone hillsides, the vineyard enjoys abundant sunshine. The proportion of stones in the soil is 40 to 50%, so the land is dry and, despite the presence of some extremely fertile clay deposits, yields are low.
Blend: 50% Grenache, 34% Cinsault, 10% Syrah, 6% Mourvèdre
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
The Château de Selle sits on a limestone slope in the forested inland reaches of Provence. The soil is nearly half rock and the sun is intense, an imposing landscape for cultivating anything, yet this rosé is one of the most elegant we tasted from the 2017 vintage. The concentration of the fruit comes through in the wine’s luxurious satin texture, while the flavors remain restrained—hints of melon, lemon and red cherry highlighting its earthy savor. It’s very pale, but don’t let the hue fool you: It’s structured and mineral, a firm rosé that wouldn’t be out of place at Le Bernardin.
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James Suckling
A denser and richer rosé. Yet, it still feels bright and intense with dried strawberries and cream undertones on the palate. Full to medium body and a fresh, fruity finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
Warm, full and fruity, this wine offers ripe red berries and a rich, soft texture. It is smooth, with a lightly mineral texture, pepper and good acidity to finish and balance. The wine is ready to drink.
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Wine Spectator
Features a slightly plump core of white peach, mango and persimmon flavors, but there's good energy and nice rippling acidity to keep this moving along. The finish shows a minerally echo. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvèdre.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Bottled just before I tasted it at the end of February, the 2017 Cotes de Provence Rose Chateau de Selle was already looking good. Cherry and pineapple flavors lead the way in this medium-bodied wine, which although silky in texture shows some grip on the finish. This should drink well through the end of 2019.
Other Vintages
2022- Vinous
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- Vinous
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James
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Robert
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Robert
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James
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Wine
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Wine &
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Wine
Enthusiast
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Wine &
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Robert
Parker
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Wine
Enthusiast
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Wine
Enthusiast
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James
Suckling
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Wine
Enthusiast
In 1896, after a tour of France’s many vineyards, Marcel Ott, a young graduate in agronomy engineering, finally found an estate that inspired him. To set the scene, we are in Provence. The Mediterranean is lapping at the shore a mere stone’s throw away...
In these parts, growing vines is the legacy of ancient times. Alas, a short while before Marcel Ott’s discovery, phylloxera had wreaked havoc on the vines. The land was cheaper, but the vineyards would have to be replanted. The wine had lost a great deal of its soul in the vineyard’s reconstruction. Marcel Ott bought several estates and began renovating them with the determined ambition to create great Provencal wines from noble grape varieties.
Today, 120 years later, cousins Christian and Jean-François Ott dedicate their life to their ancestor’s love for the site. In 2004, Domaines Ott joined Louis Roederer and its fabulous selection of wine craftsmen.
Christian and Jean-François run three estates: Château de Selle, Clos Mireille (both Côtes de Provence) and Château Romassan (Bandol). Each of these properties has its own individual charm and personality. Each can be proud of their extremely elegant rosé, red and white wines.
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.