Old World Rosé Wines: Rhône Region

This blog is based on the Spirits of New Mexico radio show that aired on June 12, 2021. We do on-air tasting of one or two wines to illustrate what is available in a particular wine region, or as a contrast of what influence a wine region has on a grape or blend. We use suitable glasses for the type of wine and do a double-decant of red wines to insure they have opened sufficiently for accurate judging.

International Rosé Day is June 25^th, which is the fourth Friday of June. This was established by Provence, where Rosé is king. What you think this smacks of self-promotion? What it does do is firmly establish the popularity of Rosé wines, most certainly in the summer when sales peak. And a lot of it comes from Provence, but we’re not there this week, but in the Rhône Valley.

The last Rhône Rosé we sampled was a Tavel in the late summer last year, which is a more extracted wine typical of this Rhône Valley region. Early this year we sampled a Rosado from Rioja, which traditionally extracts their Rosé wines like Tavel. One of our Rhône wines this week is again a Tavel, but we also want to contrast it with lighter-extracted Rosé wines that use the same grapes, but in a very different style. In this case; the dominant style worldwide.

Luxury Brands

Rosé wine production continues to rise to meet the ongoing demand. Pink is the new millennial drink of choice, and the Provence-style of lightly extracted, crisp and bright fruit flavors is the most in demand. Everyone has an eye on Provence these days; even luxury brand Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH), one of the world’s biggest fashion and drinks groups, with their acquisition of Cotes-de-Provence cru classé Chateau du Galoupet – an estate dating back to the 17th Century.

Celebrity-brands

Then there are the celebrity-brands such as Château Miraval acquired by Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie that we sampled in 2019. However the winemakers are the Perrin family of famed Chateau Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Now Sarah Jessica Parker is also promoting pink along with her New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wine that we sampled back in March. I guess her Cosmo cocktail was not pink enough.

Rosé  Styles

Many of the lighter pink and crisper Rosé wines, such as classic Provence are more in demand, and winemakers in other countries and regions have taken note. The popularity of Provence-style Rosé is still rising, with Languedoc-Roussillon and the Rhone Valley, which are also along the French Mediterranean getting into the act.

However, while it’s the predominant style there are other Rosé wines that produce richer, darker-colored wines that extend food-pairing into typical red wine territory. Longer extraction of the skins pulls in more polyphenols and red wine accents for a deeper, richer Rosé. However, on a hot summer day this style has less refreshment and lift so it makes sense to have lots of the truly pink Rosé chilling in your fridge.

Color and bottle design

While the amount of extraction, or skin-contact on a red wine isn’t always easy to perceive until we taste it, the amount of time on skins is ready apparent on a Rosé. And they show every spectrum from grey to pink to red, which tells us much about what we’ll find in the bottle. And there are more bottle shapes for Rosé than any other type of wine from squat to hourglass to exceedingly tall.

Perceptions of Rosé wines have changed over time as a short trip through the history of Rosé will illustrate.

History

In the past Rosé was as common as red wines as far less extraction was the norm for reds as well. The styles were also sweeter as with all wines. So much so that some wine drinkers still think of Rosé as sweet; au contraire! It all began with Mateus and Lancers Rosé, which were definitely sweet. Production grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s and by the late 1980s, supplemented by a white version, it accounted for almost 40% of Portugal’s total export of table wine.

• Mateus is still made, and in the flask; nostalgia being what it is, but now done in a drier, prickle style like Vinho Verdé.
• Professional wrestler André the Giant who was 7’4” and 520 pounds was said to drink six bottles of Mateus before a match. That would explain why his bear hug move resulted in his opponent passing out. Only Hulk Hogan beat him in a match so possibly he didn’t inhale.
• But that was then, this is now and it’s a very different, rosy world.

Rosé Wine Basics

Rosé wines are made by removing the skins quickly from red wine grapes, using one of four processes

• Saignée (sohn-yay) or bleeding method: Free run juice, around 10%, bled off for Rosé and permits two wines to be made; Rosé and a richer more intense red wine.
• Free-run juice comes from un-pressed grapes, which can be:
  • Blended back into the wine
  • Sold as a free run juice wine, which has lower tannin, potassium
  • Sold as Saignée Rosé, which has intense, dark colors and uses the juice after 2 hours to 2 days of runoff before pressing and fermented separately
  • Because the primary wine is red, grapes are harvested later than Rosé grapes
• Maceration, similar to conventional red wine, but juice taken off skins after 3 – 24 hours
  • The grapes are harvested earlier than for red wine to preserve acidity and red fruit flavors and brighter notes
• Vin Gris: Grey wine, lighter skin grape like Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio, no maceration
• Blending red and white wines to create Rosé, typical of many Champagne Rosé wines

Southern Rhône Valley

It is hard to imagine that in the 1960s Rhône wines were virtually not on anyone’s radar. Moreover many of the grapes that comprise the red, white and Rosé wines had only meager plantings in California. Viognier was unheard of until the 1980s and Syrah a distant memory. Part of what changed was an ever-growing interest in wine in America from a time when liquor stores were stocked with more spirits than wine.

Two men helped boost our interest in Rhône varietals; Kermit Lynch and Richard Olney. Olney through his many cookbooks on French cuisine and Lynch finding the Rhône wines to his liking as he built up his wine shop, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant. Many of these wines had ended up at Alice Waters’s influential restaurant; Chez Panisse. Another significant influence was Robert Parker who became entranced with the Rhône region; later publishing Wines of the Rhône Valley and Provence in 1987. The huge market that developed for these wines influenced many French vignerons to increase their plantings and the quality of their wines.

By the time the new millennium came along many wine regions that were merely part of the Cote du Rhône advanced to become village wines and later Protected Designations of Origin (AOP). Chateauneuf-du-Pape was the first such AOP, established in 1937 and one of the few popular Rhône wines. In the past we’ve explored many of these Rhône Cru subregions. One of our Rosé wines is from a Rhône Cru.

Southern Rhône Rosé Grapes

The three principal grapes of Southern Rhône are Grenache, Syrah and Mourvēdre. However Rosé is typically not a GSM blend so other grapes such as Cinsault (San-soh), which can add softness and bouquet and Clairette to add flavor and acidity are more common.

Grenache:

• Grenache or Garnacha is a widely planted grape variety that ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions such as Spain and the Rhône Valley. The vine has a strong wood canopy and highly resistant to windy regions, such as the Rhône Mistral (25 to 60 mph).
  Generally spicy, berry-flavored ( typically raspberry and strawberry) and soft on the palate producing wine with a relatively high alcohol content, but needs careful control of yields for best results. Grenache is typically 45% or higher in a Rosé blend.

Mourvēdre

• It favors hot sun with good irrigation and good winds to prevent powdery mildew. It’s late ripening and harvesting. Thick-skinned it can handle harvest in rain without getting waterlogged. Seldom grown north of Avignon for proper ripening. Mourvèdre tends to produce tannic wines, high in alcohol and is typically 5% to 10% of a blend. It brings tannic strength, ballast and balance to a blend as well as a bit of funk.

Clairette

• Clairette is one of the oldest wine grapes in France, dating back to the mid 1500’s, but less is now planted in the Rhône Valley. Clairette is also used to make Vermouth. It’s also known as Clairette Blanche and for Rosé’ the grape used is Clairette Rosé.
• Clairette delivers both low alcohol and high acidity and blended to add acidity. Flavors of green apple, lime, peach, licorice, white peach and floral characteristics.

Cinsault

• Cinsault is a perfect grape for the Rhône Valley as it thrives in the hot, windy weather. Cinsault plantings are declining in many places. It’s used primarily as a blending grape in the Southern Rhône Valley as it pairs well with Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.
• The dark skinned grape ripens early and often delivers prolific yields, so growers need to control this with pruning and irrigation. Cinsault delivers floral and ripe strawberry notes as well as hints of various dried fruits. Due to its natural, low level of tannin and acidity, coupled with strong aromatic quality is often used in Rosé.

Rhône Valley quality levels

Quality designations in the Rhône Valley are similar to other French wine regions such as Bordeaux and Burgundy. The basis is the Appellation or AOC system. In the Rhône there are four quality levels defined.

Cotes du Rhône AOC:

Accounting for 50% of the valley’s production, this is the ‘entry level’ classification. Most are red blends or GSMs, based on Grenache or Syrah with vineyards planted on a variety of soils. Production rules are not as strict as other levels but wines must have a minimum of 11% alc. and be made from the 21 sanctioned grape varieties. Cote du Rhône can also be Rosé or a white blend.

Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC

Village wines are more complex with lower yields and slightly higher alcohol. These wines have great aging potential and priced higher. Rosé wines are permitted to contain 20% white grapes.

Côtes du Rhône (named) Villages AOC

Take note of village wines with a named village, rather than a mix of various village grapes. The label will include one of the 21 villages that are allowed to declare their names.

Top level: the Crus

These 17 distinctive AOP or Crus of the Rhône Valley – 8 in the north and 9 in the south – truly express their individual “terroir” and are responsible for about 20% of the Rhône wine production.

Cote du Rhône Rosé

The Cote du Rhône wine region surrounds the central region above Avignon where the Rhône Crus and Village wines reside. There are several large subregions that might append their own area to a wine. The Luberon region sits above Aix-En-Provence, separated by the Durance River. Above that is the Ventoux, capped by Mon Ventoux, site of one of the greatest Tour de France bicycle stages.

On the east side of Rhône is the Duche dUzes above the Languedoc and below Avignon is the Costières de Nimes, (Coas-tea-era d Neem) which follows the Rhône and its west tributary to near the Mediterranean Sea.

Map courtesy Wine Folly (extract from larger map)

Costières de Nîmes

Costières de Nîmes is an AOC (est. 1989) region for wines that are produced in an area between the ancient city of Nîmes and the western Rhône delta, in the French department of the Gard. Formerly part of the Languedoc region of France, as the wines more resemble those of the Rhône valley in character than of the Languedoc. It came under Rhône administration in 2004.

• Soil is quartzite pebble with alluvia, with 10,340 acres of planted vineyards
• The wines were consumed by the ancient Greeks so a long wine history
• Clearly Mediterranean climate with frequent sea breezes
• Red grapes: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan, and Cinsault.
• White: Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Clairette

Some Rosé is made as a by-product of red wine production; with up to 10% white grapes permitted. These are light and dry, traditionally well balanced and delicate.

What we are tasting; Chateau De Fabregues 2020 Costières de Nîmes, 13% ABV, $16.99 at Total Wines

This Ch Fabregues (Fab-ray-ga) Rosé is a Grenache-Syrah blend that comes in a strikingly-tall bottle with a glass closure. Good luck getting this one in your mini-fridge. I save the glass closures, which work on many Euro wines and save head space unless you are re-securing this wine.

Beverage Dynamics: “This striking fresh wine has aromas of strawberry and citrus mixed with delicate notes of green apple. The palate offers sharp focus, zippy minerality and a crisp refreshing finish.” 92 points

Wine Enthusiasts: Crisp red cherry and orange blossom perfume this thirst-quenching, dry blend of Grenache (60%) and Syrah (40%). Pale pink in hue, it’s a concentrated, juicy rosé marked by bright strawberry and raspberry flavors and a revitalizing mineral lift. Anna Lee C. Iijima. 90 points

Côtes du Rhône (est. 1937)

As previously mentioned this area covers the east, north and west portions of the Rhône Valley. Each section therefore might have different soils and microclimates. The proximity to the sea is another factor.

• Soils: North: granite, argili-calcairous. South: chiefly sandstone, limestone, alluvia, loess, quartzite shingle.
• Climate: Mediterranean in the south, moderate continental in the north.
• Total area: 83,800 ha or 207,000 acres in 2008

What we are tasting: Guy Mousset 2020 Côtes du Rhône Rosé , 13.5% ABV, $14.99 at Total Wines

I had Roger’s help at the Westside Total Wines on this one as I picked up two Cote du Rhone and he suggested this as the better choice. Turns out he was right. Trust these guys!

Beverage Dynamics– This delightful and crisp Rosé offers fresh flavors of strawberry and cherry. Made primarily from Grenache, this dry and clean Rosé is nicely balanced with a refreshingly long finish.

Rhône Valley, Tavel

While there are many fine Cote du Rhône Rosé wines, it is Tavel where Rosé is king. Tavel is a wine-growing AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) in the southern Rhône wine region of France, across the Rhône River from Châteauneuf-du-Pape and just north of Avignon. Tavel wines are all rosé wines and must have a minimum alcohol content of 11%.

• Rosé wine cannot legally be made in France by blending red and white wines except for Champagne
• Rosé wine can blend red and white grapes before fermentation, however.
• In Tavel, some of the must is kept with the skins longer and then blended into the lighter must, which is what makes the wine more powerful, more tannic and darker than other rosés.
• The potential alcohol is high, with an upper limit around 13.5%

What we are tasting: Chateau De Trinquevedel 2019 Tavel Rosé , 14.1% ABV, $20

What could be more appropriate than to have a Kermit Lynch Rhône Rosé among are list of Rosé wines.

Kermit Lynch website: The singular Tavel AOP stands out not just for its production of bright red rosé but also because it happens to be the only appellation in France from which Blanc and rouge are excluded. For winemakers Guillaume and Céline Demoulin, this means all their best plots from the hilltops of the Montagne Noire are destined for one heady blend of Grenache, Clairette, Cinsault, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. This dark, autumnal rosé is a beacon of tradition in a sea of paler styles. Its bold, yet versatile personality can carry a meal from the heartiest apéritif of rich rillettes or briny black tapenade all the way through meatier courses like crispy whole fish or garlicky spring lamb. —Jane Berg

• Blend: 45% Grenache, 24% Cinsault, 15% Clairette, 10% Mourvèdre, 6% Syrah
• Vineyard: Average of 32 years, 27 ha Soil: Sand, Marl, Limestone, Clay with quartz
• Aging: Wine is aged in enamel-lined, stainless-steel cuvees for 6 to 9 months

Analysis

Three excellent examples of what the Rhone is capable. The Fabregues was elegant, balanced with good fruit and acidity or crispness. I was just as impressed with the Guy Mousset, which had great depth as well as lift, not easy in a Rose. The Tavel was the best I’ve sampled in some time, rich but not overbearing as some can be. The color was jewel-like, the aroma fruit-laden, the palate rich with a lingering finish. This is one Rose that could draw folks away from Provence and all three performed above their price point.