If you don’t like fine, well-priced Provencal rosé – crisp, clean, lively, refreshing and perfect for spring – then look away now. If, however, you’re an out ’n’ proud pink-drink lover like me then what are you waiting for? Get stuck in!
Rosé has never been more popular, and with reason: the best are very tasty indeed. I’m not talking about so-called ‘lady petrol’, the grim, off-dry to sweet, neon-coloured, bubblegum-like California Blush Zinfandel, designed for chugging back over ice from a goldfish bowl in the beer garden of the Dog and Vomit on a Sunday afternoon. No, I’m talking about beautifully crafted, pale, pale pink wines made with the same care and attention that goes into the making of the finest reds and whites.
With vineyards on the slopes of Mont Sainte-Victoire (famously beloved of Paul Cézanne) which overlook Aix-en-Provence, Maud Negrel at Mas de Cadenet and Sophie Sumeire-Denante at Sumeire – competitors but great friends – make superlative rosés at very fair prices.
Pale, pale pink rosés made with the same care and attention that goes into the finest reds and whites
Thanks to our old mates at FromVineyardsDirect, we’ve three wines each from the two producers and, with the picnic season in the offing and my Glyndebourne and Lord’s tickets in the bag, I’ve barged my way to the front and nabbed a mixed case.
The 2022 Horizon Rosé (1) is a blend of Cinsault, Syrah and Grenache designed for easy-going, carefree drinking. The Negrel family have been making wine here since 1813, so it’s safe to say they know what they’re on about, and if this sub-tenner charmer doesn’t conjure up a sun-dappled Provencal poolside and the sound of cicadas, then nothing will. Mouth-watering, refreshing and undemanding, it’s just the ticket. £9.95 down from £10.95.
The 2022 Nautic Rosé (2) from the Sumeires – vignerons here for almost 800 years – is another simple but deeply satisfying thirst-quencher. A half and half blend of Grenache and Cinsault, it’s light and delicate with a touch of sweetness to the ripe fruit although it finishes dry. As FVD’s Esme Johnstone says: ‘It’s a superb everyday rosé, one I have found not to last long once opened.’ £10.95 down from £11.95.
The 2022 Domaine Coussin La Croix du Prieur Rosé (3), from the Sumeires’ Coussin estate in the heart of the Trets terroir, is made from 50 per cent Grenache, 30 per cent Cinsault and 20 per cent Syrah. Cool-fermented in stainless steel, it’s fresh, lively and wonderfully refreshing. £14.75 down from £15.95.
The 2022 Mas de Cadenet Rosé (4) from the Negrels, is a hand-picked organic blend of the same varieties as above, albeit with a greater amount of Cinsault. A beguiling pale pink, it’s soft and creamy with hints of citrus, redcurrants and wild strawberries and just the faintest of prickles on the long dry finish. £15.95 down from £16.95.
The 2022 Ch. l’Afrique Rosé (5), from vineyards owned by the Sumeire family for more than 70 years, is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and (white) Rolle, aka Vermentino. It’s zesty yet creamy and skilfully balanced with white stone fruit, citrus and redcurrants. Although an excellent aperitif, it has the weight and structure to match many a dish, and Mrs Ray and I knocked it back very happily alongside a fat juicy chicken roasted on a bed of butter beans mushed up with lemon juice, garlic, spinach and parmesan. £17.45 down from £18.95.
Finally, the 2020 Grande Garde Rosé (6), the top cuvée from the Negrels’ Mas de Cadenet estate. An organic, oak-fermented and oak-aged blend of 70 per cent Grenache and 30 per cent Syrah, it’s perfectly structured and gratifyingly complex, with notes of quince, redcurrant, pear, herbs, spice and even liquorice. This is rosé for grown-ups, although I’m not sure that Mrs R and I gave it quite the respect it deserves, draining it in a flash. £20.95 down from £21.95.
The mixed case has two bottles of each wine and delivery, as ever, is free.
Order online today or download an order form.
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