Gone are the days when rosé was just a mere summertime wine. While it is a delightful treat when the temperatures are hot, rosé is as good as any great white or even red. For instance, from our third annual rosé competition at The Nai Harn in Phuket, we found a wide range of bright and refreshing rosés that are delicious to drink now. Although a Thai wine unexpectedly bested almost 100 rosés from around the world at our blind tasting, there are a selection of French rosés that we’ve recently tasted and would highly recommend as well.
Provence in southern France is a heartland of great rosés. Château Routas Coteaux Varois en Provence 2017 is a clear example. It offers pretty fruit and a nice weight on the palate. We tasted this crisp blend of cinsault, grenache and syrah in Phuket and rated it as our No. 2 of Top 10 Rosé with a score of 92 points. The 2016 of the same rosé won first place in last year’s competition, too. Available in the market for about US$15 worldwide, this pink sipper is a great value bottle.
Domaines Ott Côtes De Provence By Ott Rosé 2017 is another great Provencal wine. As one of the pioneering estates in France, Domaines Ott has long been known for producing standout rosés with distinct characters and typicity. James just tasted this one in June and very much enjoyed its freshness and minerality. While it offers a flavorful full body, it still manages to remain well-balanced and bright.
Owned by Sacha Lichine — one of the former owners of Château Prieure-Lichine — Château d’Esclans’ Whispering Angel is a longtime favorite of ours as well. A paler, Provencal style of rosé, this wine just glides on the palate rather effortlessly as it shows flavors of peaches and spices. It is also interesting to note that Château d’Esclans is one of the few where rosé is fermented in barrels. We interviewed the owner Lichine a couple years ago in his fermentation room, where he explained how this unique form of making rosé works.
And who wouldn’t miss trying the rosé from Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie? A business investment for their family and kids, Château Miraval is another Provence estate that makes great rosés. Miraval’s Côtes de Provence 2016 is a blend of cinsault, grenache, syrah and rolle that is vinified using the saignee method. For those who enjoy creamier rosés should definitely check it out.
Located in the eastern end of the Loire Valley, Pascal Jolivet makes some of the best sauvignon blancs, as well as rosés wines. Made from 100-percent pure pinot noir, Pascal Jolivet’s Sancerre Rosé 2017 is a blend of direct press and saignee. Pale salmon-pink and driven by lively acidity, this rosé brings some serious strawberry aromas and fresh vivid fruit to the glass.
Ranging from fresh and linear to fuller and creamier, this list features a mix of great French rosés that have scored 90 points or higher this year. Next time when you find yourself reaching out for a bottle of crisp, dry white, why not give one of these rosés a try? They’d make a great summertime sip, but they are enjoyable all year around, too.
