Turenne 2022 Cotes de Provence Cuvée Camille Rosé

Domaine Turenne, northeast of Bandol in Provence, produces this lovely rosé from 40% Cinsault, 50% Grenache and 10% Syrah, certified organic. The terroir is a unique bed of limestone and sandstone debris with small stones called "Gavroches" which bring a pronounced minerality and good drainage to the vines. The grapes are harvested by hand and fermented with wild yeasts. The 2021 "Camille" is a pretty, very pale pink/orange color with aromas of wild strawberry, raspberry, rose and citrus, with a hint of stone fruits as well. The palate is light and elegant with subtle berry fruits, a hint of citrus and stone, and has nice density and length. This is a light and lovely rosé for all year enjoyment, sipped by itself or with grilled fish, white meats, salade Niçoise and mild cheeses - and it's a fabulous value! 

Turenne 2021 Cotes de Provence Cuvée Aubregades Rosé

Domaine Turenne makes a tiny quantity of this 100% Grenache rosé - it's a taste of "old Provence" says Philippe Bénézet, simple but delicious, showing pretty flavors of raspberry and strawberry, it's medium-bodied and very dry with a refreshing finish. At $13.99 it's a sensational value. Only 10 cases for the US!

Turenne 2020 Cotes de Provence Cuvé Apollon Rosé

The Domaine Turenne "Cuvée Apollon" is a more "serious" Bandol style Rosé made from Mourvedre and Grenache that ages for 6 months in 600-liter acacia barrels before bottling. The wine shows aromas of citrus, white peach and apricot, with a full bodied palate, round and silky, finishing with firm acidity, mineral and white fruit flavors. Drink this lovely rosé over the next few years with white meats, farm chicken, veal milanese and tajines...or sip happily by itself.

Turenne 2021 Vin de France Histoire D'Haut Rosé

 This new wine from Philippe Benezet at Domaine Turenne is a bit of Provençal history, made with all the estate's red grapes, with no SO2 added.  "Really nice" says Eben from last winter's tasting "he enivions to be what rosé used to be like in Provence 100+ years ago. Before sulfur, before the obsession with paleness." Darker rose color, cherry and little red fruits, very fresh, a bit oxidative, fascinating and delicious.

Les Fouques 2022 Côtes de Provence Cuvée l'Aubigue Rosé

Year after year, Yves Gros, Christelle and Jacques at the Biodynamic Domaine les Fouques make our favorite Provençal rosés. This is what they say about the 2022 Cuvee Aubigue: "Cinsault 62% Grenache 15% Syrah 17% Cabernet Sauvignon 4% Rolle 2%, (alcohol 12.5%) "Very pale pink color with melon nuances. The first aromas are concentrated, evoking ripe yellow fruits such as apricot and peach. After swirling, it's flat peach with white flesh, subtly enhanced by spices of white pepper and ginger. The palate is imposing, well structured, ample; dominated by notes of white peach but also by fresh citrus which reinforces the iodized side of this cuvée and gives it a certain freshness on the finish." We say...  "the palate is round and refreshing with a dense mineral core. Flavors of peach, strawberry, and nectarine coalesce over cool herbal notes akin to licorice. The finish is suave and awash with citrus and stone. A wonderfully versatile wine, this is lovely to sip by itself and will be a seriously delicious pairing with salads, full-flavored fish dishes, chicken and grilled pork all summer and all year...complex, subtle, refreshing and delicious - buy it by the case as we do run out from time to time...

Les Fouques 2022 Côtes de Provence La Londe "Cuvée 'Estelle"

 Domaine les Fouques has been certified Biodynamic (Demeter) for 30 years, and also raises sheep, ducks, chickens and guinea-hens on their old-fashioned mixed-use farm. The La Londe "Cuvee L'Estelle" is their best rosé from old vines of Grenache 49% Cinsault 36% Syrah 11% Rolle 4%. Unlike the majority of Provençal rosés, it is made naturally with wild yeasts, giving a more subtle expression of fruit and terroir. The 2022 is a subtle and beautiful wine showing a very pale salmon  pink color and aromas of peach skin, orange peel, rose, earth and raspberry, very pretty and folral. The palate is elegant and silky with stone and saline mineral flavors beneath very subtle red and yellow fruits, wild strawberry, hints of spice and citrus peel. The high percentage of white grapes brings delicacy and freshness. The finish is refreshing and long with nice density and perfectly balanced at 13% alcohol. This is a lovely rosé of terroir that will drink beautifully over the next three years. Serve with grilled fish, pork and chicken, salade Niçoise, or just sip by itself. David Lillie

Bagnol 2022 Cassis Rosé

We love rosés from Cassis - a great location and terroir for wine despite the chic little town and hordes of tourists! In a vineyard dating back to the 13th century, situated a few hundred metres from the Mediterranean, the Domaine du Bagnol produces one of the most elegant of rosés. Part Grenache, giving structure and weight and part Cinsault, giving delicate red fruit and spice aromas, this pale salmon-colored wine is a refreshing treat!

Pibarnon 2021 Bandol Rosé

The 2021 Pibarnon Rosé is drinking gorgeously now and will improve even more over the next few years - grab some now as of course the price goes up for the 2022. This wine has a wonderful ability to combine elegance, power, class, and distinction. A blend of Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Grenache, the wine shows peach-y and stone fruit notes on the nose, mingling with the savory earth and iodine character of good Bandol Rosé. The palate offers silky textures, a certain voluptuousness, and a lovely balance of acidity to full ripe fruit. 

Manissy 2021 Tavel Tête de Cuvée Rosé

(Retasted in June 2023, the wine is showing even better with gorgeous fruit and fabulous length!) Produced since 1915 this is the historic cuvée of Chateau de Manissy, retaining the ancient label and the ancient methods of production, now enhanced by Biodynamic farming. Similar in style to the Tavel 'Vintage" at Domane L'Anglore, the wine is a blend of Grenache, Clairette and Cinsault that undergoes a 24 to 48 hour maceration on the skins and then a cool fermentation with wild yeasts for about 2 weeks. The wine ages in old barrels for 9 to 12 months. This is a true Rosé of gastronomy that will drink beautifully for ten years or more.  Showing a slightly darker hue than the 2020 vintage, it exudes bright aromas of pomegranate, red flowers and spice with a silky, cool palate and a  light red wine feel,  with flavors of red currant, tart cherry and saline minerals. "Can live 10 to 20 years if well cellared, drink with melon & cured ham salad, grilled meats, magret de canard (duck breasts), veal meatballs, white meats, chicken breast, guinea fowl with mushrooms & chestnuts" says the estate, or just sip by itself on a summer evening...

Bart 2022 Marsannay Rosé

(not certified organic, but we still love it.) A lovely rosé of Pinot Noir from Pierre Bart in Marsannay, the 2022 shows a bit more weight than usual in this very pretty vintage of ripe, forward fruit. Bright pink color. Subtle hints of red currant and strawberry, floral and mineral. The palate shows nice density and a silky texture with sappy berry fruits, blood orange and stone supported by refreshing acidity, finishing with elegant mineral, citrus and strawberry flavors long and quite delicious. Please open this young wine in advance if drinking now, or even put some aside for next year....

Casaretti 2021 Bardolino Classico Rosa dei Casaretti

This lovely rosato is 70% Corvina, 20% Rondinella, and 10% Molinara, from organically tended vines on the shore of Lake Garda in the Veneto. Soils are rocky with clay. 12-36 hour maceration before natural fermentation. Aged in stainless steel. In the glass, the color is a cool pink. The nose is ripe with cherry fruit and accented with fresh herbal notes. On the palate, there is a zing of raspberry and a clean mineral drive. The palate has high acidity and a great textural swish. David Hatzopoulos

Bastide Blanche 2021 Bandol Rosé

(Arrives 6/13 last bottles!) Some of the most elegant rosés in the world come from the varied limestone terroirs of Bandol, along the Mediterranean, where Mourvedre is the primary cepage blended with Grenache and Cinsault. The wines often take 2 to 5 years or more to reach maturity, so we're happy to have the 2021 Bastide Blanche which is showing beautifully in 2023.  The estate farms with organic and biodynamic methods and makes a particularly delicious direct-press rosé, fermented with only wild yeasts. There is plenty of elegance and structure that you'd expect from a Bandol rosé, but it's still bright and full of energy - our colleague Mariko referred to it as a "happy Bandol," which is an apt description. The fruit is subtle but pretty and the minerality is sleek and stony, with great acidity that would make this a hit at any barbecue. It's an incredible value for a very serious rosé.

Boislauzon 2022 Vin de France Chaussynette Rosé

The Mas de Boislauzon, a superb organic estate in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, makes this delightful rosé from their Cotes du Rhone Village vines just outside of Chateauneuf. This is a lovely wine, especially given the very low price, with subtle aromas of raspberry and black cherry, with a silky complex palate of berry fruits and citrus and a surprisingly long and refreshing finish. And there's a screw-cap closure - what could be easier - stock up for summer enjoyment!

Guion 2020 Bourgueil Rosé

 (Retasted in September 2022 - the wine is showing beautifully, with fabulous complexity of fruit and mineral notes, with a great finish - drink over the next 2 years.) 50 years of organic farming and great traditional winemaking give this refreshing, perfectly balanced rosé from our friend Stephane Guion in Bourgueil. The wine shows bright strawberry/raspberry aromas with citrus, rose and earth. Raspberry, blood orange, melon and earthy flavors on the bone-dry palate which is framed in firm acidity and saline minerals. This is a real rosé of terroir, dry and balanced with moderate alcohol which needs a bit of time to open up. Drink now and through 2024, with grilled tuna, roast chicken, quiche lorraine, grilled pork and charcuterie.

Lambert, Patrick 2021 Chinon Rosé

(Arrives 4/28) This delightful Chinon Rosé comes from Patrick Lambert's 6 hectares of organic vines in Cravant, around the corner from his friend and mentor, Bernard Baudry. Hand harvested from 25-year-old Cabernet Franc vines on gravel and sandy clay soils over limestone. The 2021 shows lovely aromas of berry fruits with citrus and rose; the palate is silky and ripe with raspberry, cherry, citrus and stone flavors with nice density and texture, with juicy acids, berry flavors and saline minerals in the finish. This is drinking beautifully now and will  be delicious through the summer and into 2024. This is a fabulous value and highly recommended. David Lillie

Baudry, Bernard 2022 Chinon Rosé

(Arrives 6/13) Tasted at the winery in January, the 2022 "Le Rosé" showed subtle, fresh aromas of raspberry, wild strawberry and citrus, with a silky, beautifully balanced palate with red currant and berry fruit and a long, crisp, almost bitter finish with firm acidity and saline minerals. We found a great combination of ripeness and freshness in the wine - "but with less alcohol" said Matthieu, "and not as heavy as 2018 or 2019" making this an excellent vintage for "Le Rosé."

Boudignon 2022 Rosé de Loire

(Arrives 6/13) Since his arrival in Anjou Noir in 2008, Thibaud Boudignon became a reference for hyper-detailed farming and very refined, sleek interpretations of Chenin on the different metamorphic terroirs of the region. After couple of terrible vintages where he lost almost all his crop, he started a little négoce, allowing him to produce a little bit of rosé. Of course, the wine is made with the same dedication that leads whatever Thibaud is doing. It is a blend of Cabernet Franc and Grolleau organically farmed in Faye d'Anjou (one of the crus of the Coteaux du Layon)  by a producer Thibaud has built a strong relationship with.  The grapes are grown on schists and volcanic rhyolites. They are direct pressed, fermented with wild yeast in stainless steel tank. Malo is blocked to preserve freshness. . the 2022 is very elegant and delicate, tastes closer to a white, with just a little pick up of tannins and white raspberry at the end of the palate. It is a very versatile wine, with very good length, would pair well with any light summer dishes, 80% Cabernet Franc, 20% Grolleau.

Morin, Gerard et Pierre 2022 Sancerre Rose

The youthful Pierre Morin makes some of the finest Sancerre reds and rosés, from Pinot Noir grown on limestone "caillottes"  soils in and around Bué.  The 2022 rosé is high-toned, chiseled, mineral, and chalky like the more familiar Sancerre blanc though it shows subtle, delicate, red-fruit tones. The wine shows beautiful ripeness in the 2022 vintage, with subtle aromas of cherry, strawberry, citrus and stone  that open with aeration.  Newly arrived it's showing mostly nervy and mineral right now, this should be come more compelling as the aromatic and structural elements integrate. This will be lovely with lighter fare, such as salads, marinated goat cheese, seafood, not to mention make a beautiful aperitif by the pool or the beach. Delicious wine!

Kalogris Organic Winery 2021 Arcadia (Greece) Mrs Polia

From the Mantinia plateau in the center of the Peloponnese, Moschofilero's birthplace. Mrs Poulia is a 10 day skin contact wine from the gray-skinned Moschofilero grape, in stainless steel with no temperature control, ambient yeast, no additives, and no filtration or fining, with limited sulfur at bottling. Delicate aromas of honeysuckle and melon, high acid and notes of blood orange with a long, savory minty finish. Easter Bunny wine! Giselle Hamburg

Montenidoli 2022 IGT Toscana Rosé Canaiuolo

100% Canaiolo from certified organic vineyards planted in San Gimignano. Vines planted to marine soils at 800 feet. Fermented in steel vats and bottled on the lees. The color of this rosato is a beautiful onion skin hue. On the nose, notes of cherry and peach skin give this wine a captivating, unique team of aromas. The palate is salty, with green herbs, lemon zest, white peach and small red berries. Structure is bright as can be - which is perfect in this context. Simply a wonderful wine, light and lovely in 2022!