Château du Rouët Rosé 2023, `Villa Estérelle` Côtes de Provence

£19.95 per bottle

ABV 13.5%

Tasting Notes
Beautiful pale salmon in colour, this rosé wine from the Côtes de Provence appellation brings aromas of ripe citrus, alpine strawberry and fresh white blossom on the nose. The palate is refreshing, with a good balance of acidity and red berry and citrus flavours, ending in a poised and elegant finish.

Food
Best served with summer salads or grilled chicken.

Producer
Château du Rouët is now run by the fifth generation of the Savatier family, who have owned the estate since 1840. The château was originally known for selling pinewood and cork from its surrounding forest. Vines were planted in 1927 to act as a firebreak to protect the forest. The first bottled wine of Château du Rouët appeared in 1945, a means of generating income after the lean wartime years. Today, brothers Martin and Matthieu Savatier run the château, with Martin looking after the vineyards and Matthieu making the wines.

The property is situated in the foothills of the Estérel mountain range, which spans the coast of Provence. They own 85 hectares of vines which grow on distinctive red, volcanic rock soil at an altitude of 560 metres. The south-facing vineyards benefit from warm, sunny days and are cooled by the Mistral and sea breezes which adds elegance and freshness to the wines. The estate practises ‘la lutte raisonnée’(sustainable viticulture) working the soils with organic fertilisers such as manure.

The rosé, made solely from estate-grown fruit, is a blend of Grenache, Tibouren, Cinsault and Carignan. The grapes are harvested at night, in order to retain the delicate aromas. At the winery, cold maceration at 8 – 12°C is carried out for six hours to extract aroma but not colour. The rosé is pale salmon in colour with aromas of strawberry and raspberry coupled with notes of wild thyme and rosemary. The palate is dry with refreshing acidity and the finish is long and scented.