Mirabeau Classic Cotes de Provence Rose 2021
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Pale peach color with brighter pink reflections. Elegant on the nose, electrifying and rich, with aromas of cherry, vineyard peach, apricot, orange zest and freesia. A hint of strawberries and cream. Ample and generous in the mouth, with a good acidity that confers instant freshness. Notes of dried peach and ripe strawberry and a slight grip give some real layered depth to this enchanting Rosé.
Classic’s fruit forward profile will pair beautifully with aromatic dishes such as tajine with sea bream, pulpo Gallego (Gallician octopus) or miso glazed aubergines.
Blend: 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Cinsault
Domaine Mirabeau, founded in 2010 by Stephen and Jeany Cronk, is one of the best-selling and critically acclaimed Provencal rosés in the world. Lead winemaker Nathalie Longefay was born into a winemaking family in Beaujolais. She moved south in 2006 to pursue her interest in wines of Provence, particularly rosé. Nathalie studied Viticulture-Œnologie in Toulouse and subsequently worked in Australia and around France. Considered to be one of the best at her craft, Nathalie has relentless focus and an obsessive attention to detail. She keeps a roving eye on all aspects of winemaking and is constantly looking for improvements, no matter how small.
The estate is a picturesque 25 HA gem in the countryside of Saint-Tropez producing wines of distinction for great restaurants, retailers and connoisseurs around the globe. Domaine Mirabeau falls within the newly created subregion within the Côtes de Provence AOC, Notre Dame des Anges. The terroir covers 3,900 hectares of grapevines interwoven within the landscape of umbrella pines, cork oak trees and chestnut groves forming the Plaine des Maures National Nature Reserve, an ecosystem rich in fauna and flora. The 20-hectare estate includes 14 hectares of vines (principally grenache, cinsault and rolle) and enjoys a Mediterranean climate with hot summers, bright sunlight and a prevailing easterly wind. Unlike the rest of the region, which is dominated by low, soft-leaved ‘garrigue’ scrubland, this part of Provence is noticeably different with evergreen ‘maquis’ scrubland and stony terrain formed from pink sandstone and sandy soils. With a large array of wildlife– everything from llamas to beehives – Mirabeau is proud to focus on biodiversity on their estate.
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.
Cotes de Provence is an extensive but valuable appellation that includes vineyards bordering the main Provencal appellations. Its sites vary from subalpine hills, which receive the cooling effects of the mountains to the north, to the coastal St-Tropez, a region mainly influenced by the warm Mediterranean sunshine.
Here the focus is on quality rosé, as it defines four fifths of the region’s wines. Following in the rosé footsteps, a lot of new effort is going into the region’s red production as well. A new generation has turned its focus on high quality Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Carignan. Cotes de Provence white wines, which represent a miniscule part of the region as far as volume, are nonetheless worthy of consideration and can include any combination of Clairette, Semillon, Ugni Blanc and Vermentino.