Wine & Spirits - August 2019 - 59

YEAR'S BEST PROVENCE ROSÉS
sea, a patch of schist and clay in La Londe
Les Maures. Planted to grenache, with some
cinsault, rolle and syrah, and farmed organically, it produced a tight rosé in 2018, succulent and strong. It tastes vividly of sea spray,
powered by Meyer lemon-like acidity, while
herbal notes play at the edges, like an echo of
the scrub that grows between the vines. For
all its power, this is a quiet wine, a rosé that
demands close attention over a leisurely fish
dinner. § Maisons Marques & Domaines USA,
Oakland, CA
272013

93 | Clos Cibonne

$29

2017 Côtes de Provence Cru Classé Cuvée
Tradition Tibouren Rosé ^ If you are looking
for a rosé with personality and grace, Clos
Cibonne offers both in spades. The Roux
family specializes in tibouren, a rare variety also found in Liguria, where it's called
rossese di Dolceacqua. Vinified in stainless
steel, then aged under a layer of yeast (à la
Sherry) in old 500-liter foudres, it makes for
a substantial, complex rosé in Cuvée Tradition: It's dark and earthy in feel, suffused
with flavors that range from tangy citrus to
woodsy spice, orange zest and fresh, fruity
mushrooms. Delicious now, it has the structure to gain more complexity with age. § De
Maison Selections, Chapel Hill, NC

92 | Ch. des Bertrands

$22

2018 Côtes de Provence Elégance Rosé ^
This wine's satiny texture holds more raspberry flavor than you might think possible
from a rosé. Mostly cinsault and grenache,
plus 20 percent syrah, it's full bodied and
long, a rosé for the dinner table. § Henriot, NY
232499

92 | Château Grand Boise

$29

2016 Côtes de Provence ^ This captures a
sense of Provençal sun as well as cool inland
forests in its rich, waxy lemon flavors and
subtle piney lift. It comes from an estate
that extends across 1,200 acres at the base of
the St-Victoire mountain, its 74 acres of vines
interspersed among forest land. This cuvée
is entirely vermentino, grown on a mix of
limestone, clay and pink marble and farmed
organically. Firm, fresh and balanced, it will
brighten a salt-baked fish this winter. (W&S
2/19) § Grand Coeur Wines, Seattle, WA

271140

92 | Ch. les Valentines

$18

92 | Ch. de Pampelonne

$30

2018 Côtes de Provence Le Caprice de Clémentine Rosé (Best Buy) ^ A blend of equal
parts cinsault and grenache from an estate
halfway between Toulon and St-Tropez, this
is saline and spritzy at first, needing a little air
to coax out the red fruit. Even then it's taut
and nervy, its red-blushed peach flavors kept
firm by zesty lemony acidity. For grilled fish. §
Evaton, Stamford, CT
271378
2018 Côtes de Provence Légende Rosé ^
Marie Pascaud made this special cuvée to
commemorate the formation of Les Maîtres
Vignerons de St-Tropez, a coalition of ten
estates. A selection of cinsault and grenache
from 100-year-old vines on the Ramatuelle
hill, it's a savory rosé, with notes of herbs
and flowers accenting the delicacy of its pale
fruit. Its power lies in the texture, at once airy
but substantial, which holds the flavors long. §
Regal Wine Imports, Moorestown, NJ

271387

92 | Château des Ferrages

271556

93 | Domaines Ott

$54

2018 Côtes de Provence Cru Classé Château de Selle Rosé ^ De Selle was Marcel
Ott's first estate, an imposingly rocky slope
of gypsum, red clay, dolomite, gravel and
sandstone in Taradeau that he purchased in
1912. The rosé it produced in 2018-a blend
of grenache with cinsault, syrah and mourvèdre-is more open than the Clos Mireille: De
Selle is immediately inviting in its fresh, floral scents of melon and rosemary. The urge to
drink it becomes only more immediate when
the tangy wine hits the palate, delivering seashell minerality like a jolt of electricity. Bright
and energetic, it would make short work of a
dozen oysters. § Maisons Marques & Domaines
USA, Oakland, CA
271105

$28

2018 Côtes de Provence Ste-Victoire Mon
Plaisir Rosé ^ Owned by the Rhône-based
Chapoutier family since 2016, this 69-acre
estate is run by Mathilde Chapoutier, who
is converting it to biodynamics. A blend of
grenache, syrah and rolle, the wine is cottoncandy pink, with an earthy, artichoke-like
bite to its strawberry flavors. It's firm and
vivid, ready to accompany a grand aioli, with
fish and vegetables. § Sera Wine Imports, NY
271278

92 | Château Minuty

$21

2018 Côtes de Provence M ^ Minuty's basic
rosé channels the sun and sea of St-Tropez
into its creamy flavors, the notes of strawberry and rhubarb offering depth and richness without undue weight. It's brisk enough
to drink on its own, and substantial enough
to stand up to a dish like salt cod and white
beans. § Treasury Wine Estates, Napa, CA

270931

91 | Le Charmel

$15

2018 Côtes de Provence Rosé (Best Buy) ^
Charles Master and his father, Mel Master, who also runs Tortoise Creek, scour the
vineyards around Bandol for the fruit for
this wine, a blend of equal parts syrah and
cinsault with some mourvèdre, grenache
and rolle. It's as delicate as its pale pink-gold
color, a subtle rosé focused more on stone
and herb flavors than any particular fruit. A
refreshing salinity runs through it, highlighting the wine's clarity and lift, and making it
terrifically easy to drink. § Winesellers, Niles, IL

WINE & SPIRITS

AUGUST 2019

59
https://www.lesvalentines.com/fr/le-caprice-de-clementine-2018-ar20.php http://www.chateaudesferrages.com/en/mon-plaisir_en/ https://www.masterwines.com/our-wines/le-charmel/ http://www.domaines-ott.com/en/the-wines/chateau-selle/rose
Wine & Spirits - August 2019

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