Rosés for summer drinking
As the
weather begins slowly to warm up, my thoughts turn to summer drinking and that
often means rosé. There is something
psychological about rosé; however hard you try to be objective it simply does
not taste as good under a grey sky. So
in anticipation of blue skies, Yapp Bros, the friendly family-run wine
merchants in Mere, Wiltshire, hosted a tasting of rosés the other day. We began with some English bubbles and there
were a few examples from the Loire Valley, but the majority came from the
south, from Corsica, the Rhône Valley, Provence and just a couple from the
Languedoc.
In some ways
rosé is more difficult to make than red or white wine, as the colour is so
important and can vary enormously from the palest gris de gris which is almost
white, to a deep vivid pink, that is almost red. The appellation of Côtes de Provence may make
more red than rosé but it has set the trend for pale delicate rosés, which are
indisputably pretty and enticing. However, the Languedoc produces twice as much rosé as Provence.
NV Crémant de
Limoux Brut, Cuvée Prestige, Domaine Philippe Collin - £13.95
A lovely
elegant glass of bubbles. Pale orange
pink in colour, with a good mousse. Some dry raspberry fruit and balancing
acidity. Fresh and elegant. A blend of 60% Chardonnay, 25% Chenin Blanc
and 15% Pinot Noir. Philippe Collin is
the son of a champenois vigneron who moved to Limoux in 1980 and established
his own estate.
2016 Coteaux
de Cap Corse, Domaine Pieretti - £17.25
A pretty pale
colour. Lightly fruity nose, with some
weight and body in the mouth. Good fruit
and nicely rounded. This is a food rosé;
you could happily drink it with a barbecue or with quite a substantial fish
dish, rather than as an aperitif. A
blend of Nielluccio, that typical Corsican variety that is related to
Sangiovese, with Alicante and Grenache Noir.
2016 Vin de
Corse, Sartène, Domaine Saparale - £16.25
Pale orange
pink. A delicate nose and on the palate
some firm dry fresh fruit. Rounded
flavours with good weight and mouthfeel.
Again, another food rosé, From Nielluccio, Sciacarello, another typical
Corsican variety, that is particularly grown around the town of Sartène, with
some Vermentino.
2016 Vin de
Corse Porto-Vecchio, Domaine de Torraccia - £14.95
A pretty pale
pink. Quite a rounded palate, with good
weight and mouthfeel. A rounded dry finish.
Very satisfying. Nielluccio is
the main grape variety, with Sciacarello, Cinsaut and Grenache Noir. I like the observation on Yapp Bros website
about the founder of Domaine de Torraccia, Christian Imbert - ‘At the time (in
the mid-1960s when he established Domaine de Torraccia) he was regarded as an
ill-advised eccentric - today he is seen as a pioneering visionary’. Today the estate is run by his son Marc
Imbert.
2016 Coteaux
d’Aix-en-Provence, Domaine des Oullières - £11.75
Pretty pale
pink with a dry fresh raspberry nose, and on the palate more raspberry fruit
with a dry finish. A blend of Grenache
Noir, Cinsaut and Vermentino.
2016 Cassis,
Clos Ste Magdeleine - £21.25
Pretty pale
pink. A delicate nose with a firm
structured palate. Good fruit on the
palate with body and a dry finish. A
blend of Grenache Noir, Cinsaut and some Mourvèdre. Cassis tends to be expensive as much of the
land is more valuable as building land than for vineyards. The vineyards of
Clos Ste Magdeleine are amongst the most dramatic in the appellation, with
stunning views of the Mediterranean.
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