More than just a pretty face - Miraval Cotes de Provence Rosé 2013

oooh! i feel like I'm in Provence!!

Sometimes you visit a wine region, and the wine just tastes so incredible.  You bring some back or buy some when you get back home to recreate that experience, and most times it falls short.  This was not my experience with the Miraval Provence Rosé.  It tasted as great today as it did when my hubby and I lounged under an olive tree at the Perrin family restaurant L'oustalet in Gigondas http://www.loustalet-gigondas.com/en/.  Great wine can transport us, and sipping on this little beauty; I am back in Southern France!

This pink drink is brought to us by the extraordinary Perrin family.  They are masters of the southern Rhone Valley to say the least, and everything they touch tastes delicious.  It's no wonder that when they decided to make wine from select parcels in Provence (on their summer estate no less) and partner with the Jolie-Pitts (yes THOSE Jolie-Pitts) it would be phenomenal.

Grapes:  Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, Rolle
Typical blend for south of France.  Rolle is a white grape - also known as Vermentino by our friends in Italia.
Region: Cotes de Provence
http://familleperrin.com/.  This is a large area as we've learned, but that doesn't mean that the wine has to suck.  This wine is made from selected single vineyards withing the region.

Color: pretty pale pink
Nose: melon, peach, raspberry and strawberry.  delicate violet and wet stone.
Palate: tart wild strawberry, citrus fruits, crisp and fresh.  Little twang of mint, lots of mineral and mouthwatering acidity. Great zingy finish.
Price: $25
Pairing: had the first half with sushi and the second half with a Caesar salad!  Easy to drink solo though!!

The Verdict
This is my favorite rose so far in this tasting.  It's so elegant and lean but has so much power and grace behind it.  It's such a pretty balance of floral and herbaceous peppered with delicate peach and strawberry.  If you see this bottle, don't be afraid of it's distinct squat and sloping bottle shape - or it's $25 ish price tag.  Buy it and drink it --- preferably outdoors.  It's irrisistable.

Day 1 of Rosé Challenge- Maison Bourron, Cotes de Provence 2013 - Easy like Sunday Evening

I  pulled this pretty bottle from my case o' rosés to pair with tonight's supper (BBQ  Chicken) and to inaugurate my first day of rose-a-thon-ing.  We start with the Maison Bourron Reserve, Cotes du Provence 2013.  It is a perfectly fine little rosé - uncomplicated and easy going.  This was good because Hubby and I were watching BBC Sherlock and didn't need our wine to steal the show.


I drank this tonight!

Maison Bourron is mysterious, I cannot find any information on this elusive (real?) winery.  The Pink Pages (as I will call them) that lists all Provence producers doesn't show any sign of them.  Actually, this is a great site http://www.provencewineusa.com/getting-to-know-rose. 

Since this is most likely a co-op wine or possibly the Brigadoon of wineries, I will fill in some blanks. 

Grapes: Provence wines are generally blends of these red/black grapes; Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsault and Tibouren (old old varietal).

Region: located in the South of France roughly between Avignon and Cannes.  There are many different sub-regions, the largest and least strict is what we have here in the glass Cotes de Provence.  It is the easternmost area of Provence and also has a few little pockets to the west, in the less interesting terroirs.  I say less interesting, but the whole region is pretty beautiful (hills, valleys, lavender fields, limestoney cliffs, you get the idea).

Style:Dry, crisp, mineral driven, beautiful aromatics.  This Maison Bourron is a cheapie version so it has echos of it's more prestigious counterparts.

How great is this little snippet from the Pink Pages, "Provence offers the lifestyle many stressed Americans dream of. It's an outdoor lifestyle, flavored with fresh local vegetables, seafood, and olive oil, and food-friendly local wines. People tend to live and eat outside, taking full advantage of their beautiful surroundings – historic villages, terraced hillsides, lush lavender fields, and wild hiking paths." Heck yeah, get yourself to Provence if at all possible!!

Maison Bourron Reserve, Cotes de Provence 2013

$10.99 (have seen as low as $9.99 and as high as $13.99)

color: watermelon
nose: medium aromatics, minerally, unripe watermelon
palate: dry, mineral, tart strawberry,

Verdict:  easy drinking, nice acidity, but not terribly complex.  Felt that it stung the tongue in a slightly unpleasant way.  Perhaps alcohol slightly too high.

 For $10 bucks you could do a lot worse.  A whole lot worse. If it were just you and Alexander H,  this would be a good choice to bring to a bbq or picnic where the wine doesn't have to be the centerpiece - let it be the 2nd or 3rd wine and you're good to go!  It's not the most interesting drink in the world, but it's not offensive by any means.