Maison CR Coeur de Rose Prestige 2015
-
Wine
Enthusiast
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
This versatile wine can be enjoyed from appetizers to dessert. It pairs beautifully with a multitude of dishes including grilled fish and meats, seafood risotto, sushi and most Provencal and Mediterranean cuisine.
Professional Ratings
- Wine Enthusiast
For Christophe and Morgan, the gathering of friends and family for sharing drinks (aperitifs) and meals was ingrained in them. It is a way of life in the South of France and quality Provencal rose wine is a big part of this culture. After spending more and more time in the United States, Christophe and Morgan noticed that outside of New York City and some other big metropolitan areas, good Provençal rosés and other wines from their region were hard to come by. When available, the collection would usually be limited.
Thus, one of the first goals for the team was to produce a line of quality rosés from Provençe and introduce them to the USA and other parts of the world. This first line of wines is named Coeur de Rose which translates as "Heart of Rose" and is produced near Saint Tropez. It is available as both a "Prestige" and "Reserve". Over time, Christophe and Morgan have added other wines to their offering, including Cote d'Azur Selection (an IGP Rose), Coeur de Rouge Reserve, and Cœur de Blanc Reserve.
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.
More than just a European vacation hotspot and rosé capital of the world, Provence, in southeastern France, is a coastal appellation producing interesting wines of all colors. The warm, breezy Mediterranean climate is ideal for grape growing and the diverse terrain and soil types allow for a variety of wine styles within the region. Adjacent to the Rhône Valley, Provence shares some characteristics with this northwestern neighbor—namely, the fierce mistral wind and the plentiful wild herbs (such as rosemary, lavender, juniper and thyme) often referred to as garrigue. The largest appellation here is Côtes de Provence, followed by Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence.
Provence is internationally acclaimed for dry, refreshing, pale-hued rosé wines, which make up the vast majority of the region’s production. These are typically blends, often dominated by Mourvèdre and supplemented by Grenache, Cinsault, Tibouren and other varieties.
A small amount of full-bodied, herbal white wine is made here—particularly from the Cassis appellation, of Clairette and Marsanne. Other white varieties used throughout Provence include Roussane, Sémillon, Vermentino (known locally as Rolle) and Ugni Blanc.
Perhaps the most interesting wines of the region, however, are the red wines of Bandol. Predominantly Mourvèdre, these are powerful, structured, and ageworthy wines with lush berry fruit and savory characteristics of earth and spice.