Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
With fruit coming from the Grand Prébois vineyards (home of the first estate of the Perrin patriarch dating back to 1909), the grapes are grown on the hills with gravel, clay and limestone. This is a classic southern French rosé. Pretty aromas of peaches and cream and a touch of spice. Another level up on concentration, intensity and gravitas. A gently phenolic structure with round, ripe fruit, crunchy redcurrants, fresh strawberries, creamy lees richness and the weightiness and intensity of a reserve-level wine.
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.
Typically thought of as a baby Chateâuneuf-du-Pape, the term Côtes du Rhône actually doesn’t merely apply to the flatter outskirts of the major southern Rhône appellations, it also includes the fringes of well-respected northern Rhône appellations. White wines can be produced under the appellation name, but very little is actually made.
The region offers some of the best values in France and even some first-rate and age-worthy reds. Red wine varieties include most of the Chateâuneuf-du-Pape varieties like Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Counoise, as well as Carignan. White grapes grown include Grenache blanc, Roussanne and Viognier, among others.