2024 Domaine Gavoty, La Cigale Rosé, Vin de Pays du Var, Provence, France.
Sometimes, it is the little wine that really shines and pleases, and this 2024 Govoty La Cigale Rosé is just that kind of wine and while I do enjoy Clos Cibonne and Domaine Tempier, both located none too far away, this Provence Rosé is a beauty with crisp mineral tones, complex flavors and a briskly bone dry palate that is highly refreshing. This pretty salmon/pink hued Rosé is bright in nature, but has nice depth and shows off a mix of ruby grapefruit, strawberry, tart peach, sour cherry and watermelon fruits, along with a dusty spiciness, delicate florals, earthy loam, wet stone, lip smacking saline and aromatic shrubs. Winemaker Roselyne Gavoty makes this one from vines that are humbly classified as Vin de Pays du Var, as they are situated on flatter land than the slopes used for their more prestigious Côtes de Provence cuvées. That said, this wine is right up there with much more expensive offerings and is crafted using good doses of Grenache and Cinsault, with a small amount of Carignan and a splash of Syrah too, with this vintage seeing more Cinsault. The “La Cigale” (named for the ubiquitous cicadas that populate the region) is done with typically a direct press and tank aging with a short lees elevage that allows freshness and textural quality, as seen here. This 2024 version will drink nicely for another couple of years, but of course I suggest drinking it up as soon as possible, especially at the price.
The Domaine Gavoty, located in Cabasse, Côtes de Provence, is an organic polycultural farm that is comprised of 110 hectares, which the family has worked without synthetic chemicals for decades, but only obtaining certification recently, and run by the talented vigneron Roselyne Gavoty, who’s wines have now reached international star status. Gavoty’s Importer, Neal Rosenthal, says that Roselyne Gavoty, who has helmed her family’s two hundred plus year old domaine since 1985, her ancestor Philémon acquired it in 1806, oversees 50 hectares of vines on a Roman-era farm in the commune of Cabasse called Campdumy(“harvest fields” in old Provençal), situated along the snaking Issole River in the northwestern sector of the Côtes de Provence appellation and is surrounded by oak and pine forests. The classic limestone and clay soils and close Mediterranean Sea make for some serious, but fun wines with impeccable balance and ripe complexity. I found it interesting too, that Gavoty has mainly Vermentino (also known as Rolle in these parts) for their whites, that see a combination of cement and stainless fermentation, which are maybe the signature wines of the estate, rather than Marsanne and Clairette. I really loved this La Cigale Rosé and look forward to exploring the full and latest collection of wines here at Domaine Gavoty, which include almost exclusively whites and rosé offerings that are build for the local Mediterranean climate and cuisine. Again, this bottling is an outstanding value and I recommend greedily stocking up on the La Cigale!
($18 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive