Winemaker Notes
Ultimate is the epitome of a resolutely contemporary Provence rosé. The grapes unite in a symphony of fruit with floral touches and spicier notes, mainly from the Syrah and Rolle grapes. Its pale color, alternating coppery and silvery tints, is the fruit of their know-how combined with a hand-picked selection of the finest juices from the press, followed by stabilization of lees to enrich the bouquet and flavor.
Professional Ratings
-
Tasting Panel
Amply flavorful, with a bit of textural grip in the finish that will enable it to stand up to many dishes on a summer table, it still shows the elegance and sense of reserve that has made Provence the worldwide touchstone for style in this category. Very subtle floral top notes lead to understated flavors of strawberry and red plums, with gentle acidity focusing the finish.
-
James Suckling
This has aromas of chopped apples, fresh cherries, grapefruit and lemon rind. Crisp and clean with a medium body and some saline undertones. Refreshing.
The Ultimate Provence vineyard spans 100 acres around the town of La Garde Freinet, at the northern foot of Notre Dame des Anges chapel. It is set in wild countryside and bordered by a vast evergreen oak forest. Ultimate Provence’s contemporary, luminous bottles are inspired by the vineyards light, bright spirit provided by such a magnificent landscape
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.