‘Les Cerisiers’ Côtes du Rhône Rosé

A classic salmon pink rosé predominantly Grenache Noir (for body), blended with Cinsault (for freshness) and Syrah (for a touch of spice). It shows delicate perfumed aromas of rosehip syrup, wild berry blossoms and cherries. It’s flavour is pleasantly mouth-filling, balancing beautifully fresh acidity with elegant, textured, ripe berries and a hint of raspberry.

Rosé is almost as ubiquitous in the Southern Rhône Valley as it is in the rest of Provence. (Yep, most of the Southern part of the Côtes du Rhône is in Provence.) It’s just not from the officially designated ‘Côtes de Provence’.

To the French, Côtes du Rhône trumps Côtes de Provence every time. They’re wrong of course. For that matter, so are we. Both regions make great rosés. They’re both equally capable of making bad ones too. This one’s a good one.

Côtes du Rhône rosés differ slightly from those of ‘Côtes de Provence’ in as much as they are ‘vins saignés’ – wines ‘bled’ from vats of fermenting red wine after a very short maceration of as little as one night. The result is greater concentration in the reds and refreshing rosés which hint at the complexity of their red bretheren.