Rosé is no more than a drink. Like the sight of a striped deckchair on the sand or a white sail on a blue sea, the appearance of a glass of pale rose wine sends a note to our holiday-hungry brains: relax, unwind. you, summer is here. No rosé has quite the same subliminal messaging power as the palest roses of Provence, this legendary land of jasmine, palm trees, Mediterranean sun, hilltop villages, lavender fields and umbrella pines.
It is therefore not surprising that their popularity has grown and increased in recent years. Not just their popularity either – their status too. The brilliance of rosé de Provence has won over some major players. The fashion house Chanel now owns a wine estate on the small island of Porquerolles; Michel Reybier, owner of Château Cos d’Estournel in Bordeaux, acquired Château La Mascaronne in the Var in Provence; and the luxury group LVMH took a majority stake in Château d’Esclans, producer of Whispering Angel, one of the best-known rosé brands in Provence.
As rosé has increased in the world, so has the design of bottles and labels to transform them in every way into objects of desire. Love the way the sunlight shines around the ridged glass of the Ultimate Provence Rosé 2020 bottle (until June 1, on offer at Waitrose for £ 13.49 instead of £ 17.99, this wine made my list but not the final cut, but it does tasteful and beautiful).
While the new rosé, The Pale, by Sacha Lichine who invented the Whispering Angel brand, is a glory to behold, in a sturdy bottle with a fluted bottom and a label reminiscent of The New Yorker magazine style. A sweet and thick and fruity rosé made in the south-east of France, The Pale tastes of fuzzy peaches. It’s not for the school of rosé drinkers “barely out there with a hint of sandalwood”, but it’s tasty. It’s not in the list below as you have to wait until June when it’s on offer, but remember: The Pale Rosé de Sacha Lichine 2020 (Vin de Pays du Var, France; 12.5%, Waitrose, 10 , £ 99 instead of £ 13.99 from June 2 to 22).
The popularity of Provence rosé is such that prices have gone up and if you spend less than £ 10 there are more blessed roses to be found if you are looking for Provencal-style rosé rather than rosé from a Provence appellation. No, it won’t taste quite the same, but I’d rather drink a good rose that ticks the smooth, pale, and dry boxes than one that says Provence on the label but tastes dull and flat.
You can find delicious rosé, both pale and dry, from neighboring appellations such as Costières de Nîmes or IGP (protected geographical origin) such as IGP Méditerranée. For a change of pace, I even recommended a pale rose from Touraine, in the Loire. And for those of you wondering why there are no Spanish wines here, the availability was not great when I was tasting, so I will review them another time.
Best rosé wines for summer 2021
More about this article: Read More
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-05-25 08:45:42
