2022 Domaine Val de Caire, Rosé, Coteaux D’Aix-En-Provence AOP, France.
A sunny fresh and delicious Provence Rosé that offers up tons of fun for the price with a dry and mineral driven palate, showing ruby grapefruit, strawberry, sour cherry and retrained watermelon fruits and touches of wet stone, spice and rosewater. This mainly Grenache based, medium bodied, pure fruited and zesty Rosé is easy to enjoy all on its own, but is seriously good with any meal of day, from late brunch to late dinner, when you are doing everything outdoors on warm days. I’ve had some great dry pink wines recently, but I gotta says this Val de Caire was really delightful and was a crowd pleaser, be nice to grab a few more bottles for some more no pretense Summer fun. I bet this would be fabulous with steamed mussels in spice broth and or a sea food stews, but perfect with any beach day outing.
Guillaume Reynier, vigneron at Domaine Val de Caire, started this project in 2003 and is farming his vines organically in the Provence region, very close to the Parc Naturel Regional du Luberon to the north of the famous Aix-en-Provence. He is focusing on a set of easy to love wines, a Red, a White (his signature wine) and this Rosé. The vineyards are set on fossil laced limestone and iron rich clay soils, planted mainly to Vermentino (Rolle), Ugni Blanc, Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault all of which are surrounded by forest, with oaks, bramble and fields of wild herbs (garrigue) that play roles in the terroir influence along with the warm Mediterranean climate. The Rosé is made up of about 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 10% Cinsault with about 60% direct press, no skins and 40% seeing a few hours of maceration with fermentation and its short aging exclusively in stainless steel. I highly recommend this Val de Caire Rosé and suggest being earnest in your search for it.
($21 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive