Winemaker Notes
Pale peach hue with golden tints. The first nose is fresh and expressive releasing aromas of elderflowers with a delicate vanilla note. It then shows complexity quickly disclosing notes of peaches with a hint of citrus and exotic fruit. The smooth and broad iodized palate carries the purity of the fruit, complemented by light orange peel aromas. Étoile ends with a well-balanced finish of chalky minerality and sweet spice.
Blend: 78% Grenache, 22% Mourvedre
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is a delicate and balanced rosé with subtle notes of peaches and wild strawberries and touches of seashells, crushed stone and dried Mediterranean herbs. Medium-bodied, sleek and polished, with freshness and excellent poise. Classy, elegant, pristine and almost weightless, yet it holds a lot of depth and mineral complexity that unveils toward its long finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
This mineral-driven version is silky and soft on the palate, with light notes of wildflowers, white raspberry and peach hovering over a bed of crushed stone and flint. A delicate, understated style, with some simmering power underneath. Grenache and Mourvèdre.
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.
A small category representing the wines that either fall outside of appellation lines or don’t subscribe to the law and traditions set forth by the French government within certain classified appellations, “Vin De France” is a catch-all that includes some of the most basic French wines as well as those of superior quality. The category includes large production, value-driven wines. It also includes some that were made with a great deal of creativity, diligence and talent by those who desire to make wine outside of governmental restrictions. These used to be called Vin de Table (table wine) but were renamed to compete with other European countries' wines of similar quality.