A blend of hand-harvested Grenache and Cinsault fruit from vines planted at elevations of 350 to 500 metres to the clay and chalky limestone soils of Coteaux Varois en Provence. The climate here is decidedly Mediterranean, and the hot summer days are counter-balanced with cool nighttime temperatures, this diurnal shift so very important for high-quality winegrowing. Light Provençal pink in color; fine, pulverized stony, berry aromas; the wine is vibrant and alive on the tongue, if supple in texture, then mineral and mouthwatering and long on flavor and impact, too. In our humble estimation, this is among the finest quality of Provençal rosé wines available for the money.

50% Grenache Gris, 20% Grenache Noir, 20% Carignan, 5% Cinsault and 5% Mourvèdre; light peach skin-pink in color with just fermented aromas hinting at yeasty crushed red berries and an underlying minerality; nervy and vivid on entry, delicately glycerol mid-palate feel then crisp, refreshing and invigorating with fresh powdery berry flavors on to the finish.

Is Provençal Rosé the vinous equivalent of bottled sunshine? Is it the what's what of pink wines? Is it the cool, crisp compelling verre de vin rosé at the end of the rainbow? Yeah, probably so! Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Rosé is among our favorite of the Provençal rosé wines each year. Fresh, bright, vivid with a gentle intensity of chalky berry flavor just bursting forth and a refreshingness that is just, ahhhhh …  Thank heaven for sunshine! Thank heaven for Provençal rosé!

We've worked with the red wine production of Château Guiot for almost the entirety of our time in business. Château Guiot is also delicious in pink. This is our winebuyer's wife's favorite rosé of the moment. Produce of a preponderance of Grenache with a touch of Syrah; ultra-fresh with that intoxicating aroma of red berries (the producers themselves describe it fittingly as aromas of strawberries and raspberries reminiscent of "bonbons anglais"). More Provençal in style these days, with perhaps just a touch more in terms of body; ultra-refreshing, invigorating even on the tongue with flavors that well reprise those first fresh aromas; leaves the mouth just watering away for more.

Located idylically near the town of Aghione on the Costa Serena between towering snow-capped mountains and the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Vetriccie estate was purchased by the Barcelo family in 1966. It now spreads over 120 hectares and is planted to an harmonious blend of continental and native varietals. Vetriccie, the Corsican wicker that grows near the vineyards is a symbol of their unspoiled nature. And Daniel Barcelo, the current owner, is firmly commited to a viticulture that respects the Corsican nature. Produce of 50% Niellucciu, 35% Sciaccarellu and 15% Grenache planted to soils characterized by clay sediments left over by the evaporation of the Miocene sea some 5 million years ago, this 2019 vintage Corse rosé is a lovely pale pink with seeming tinges of azure Tyrrhenian Sea blue in color; ultra-fresh aromas on full display suggestive of peach, tart red berries and a waft of the macchia mediterranea; vibrant and completely dry on the tongue with compelling flavors that echo well those first inviting whiffs and get those salivary glands all atwitter.

Produce of mostly Pinot Noir with a touch of Cabernet Franc from vines averaging 30 to 40 years in age planted to soils of sand over Sologne clay. No chemical fertilizers are used, only organic matter. The must undergoes a 12-hour maceration, settling, with fermentation on indigenous yeasts. Alluring pale pink in color with glints of copper and light coral; inviting aromas suggesting freshly fermenting grapes, wild strawberries, cherries and cherry blossoms; crisp and in vivid focus on the palate with taut berryish fruit making good clean fun play with fresh tart acidity—simply delicious.

During the battle of the city of Vendôme in 1590, King Henri IV fell in love with the local wine here. A known bon vivant, he was nicknamed Le Vert Galant or «The Green Gallant» for his numerous mistresses according to Wikipedia. The Coteaux du Vendômois vineyards lie in the Loir and Cher département in the Loire Valley to the northwest of Blois and west of Orléans. While this is a relatively new project for Famille Bourgeois of Sancerre, it is, in our estimation, already showing good result. Produce of Pineau d'Aunis, an ancient Loire Valley grape variety which, despite the name and except for the pine cone-shaped clusters, is unrelated to Pinot Noir. Delicate and fresh in aroma with subtle hint of wild strawberry and cherry blossom; cool and crisp on the tongue with surprising intensity of flavor and a pleasingly tart, taut fruit character and flavor that lasts and refreshes. Délicieux!

While it's no secret that we quite typically look to the south of France for most of our rosé needs, its certainly also nice when something from closer to home can turn our heads. And this lovely new entry from Marietta Cellars in northern California makes a crisp splash with its aromatic allure, its refreshingness and restraint. Marietta Cellars Old Vine Rosé is produced from fruit of old vine Syrah, Grenache Noir and Grenache Gris, including some of the oldest examples of these vines in northern California; salmon-pink in color with a hint of wild strawberry on the nose; supple on entry, then building in nerve and vibrancy and freshness on the tongue, leaving one begging for another pull; a quite perfect choice to foil the late summer and early fall weather 'round here. And, it's Marietta Cellars. So, do take note of the value!