Located near the town of Aghione on the Costa Serena of Corsica, the Vetriccie estate spreads over 120 hectares in the bucolic appellation Ile de Beauté between snow-capped peaks to the west and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the east. Produce of 50% Niellucciu, 35% Sciaccarellu and 15% Grenache fruit from sustainably‑farmed vines planted to soils characterized by clay sediments left over by the evaporation of the Miocene sea. The grapes are picked at night at low temperatures in order to preserve their aromas and avoid oxydation. Juices are drawn off and refrigerated at 8°C before direct pressing. Pale copper/pink in color with quite fresh taut red berry aromas that suggest the pure mountain air and fresh sea breezes; crisp and mouthwatering, reminding this taster of the sensation of cold, gently salted watermelon and just a touch of its pith at summertime; fresh as can be, and at its surprisingly small price just a deliciously easy summer quaff.

The first vineyards at Domaine de Fontsainte, in the Corbières appellation, were planted by the Romans. Artifacts found in these vineyards such as an old coin dating from the time of Marcus Agrippa in 25 A.D. are a testament to its antiquity. The original domaine was built around a thermal spring, which was later named for the local, twelfth‑century patron saint, Saint Siméon; hence Fontsainte — the saint's fount. Yves Laboucarié’s family has been making wine here since the seventeenth century. The Fontsainte vineyards surround the hamlet of Boutenac in the area known as being « au coeur du célèbre Croissant d'or des Corbières », that is 'at the heart of the golden crescent of Corbières'. This swath of land is one of the sunniest in the appellation of Corbières, enjoying south/southeast exposures, and protection from the cold, northeast winds by a large 500‑hectare forest. The cool sea breezes from the Mediterranean help this sun‑soaked terroir achieve balance as well. Their Gris de Gris rosé has been an important part of our rosé offerings here for years now. Produce of the hand‑harvested fruit of 90% Grenache Gris, 5% Carignan and 5% Mourvèdre vines planted to silica, clay and gravelly limestone soils with large galets (rounded stones). A portion of the juice destined for red wine production is drawn off while still only pink in color (this is known as the saignée method of rosé production). After a 24‑hour débourbage or settling of the must, alcoholic fermentation takes place at cool temperatures for 35 days. Malolactic fermentation is blocked and the wine is allowed to rest for one month before bottling to preserve freshness and aromatic intensity: pale sunset orange copper pink in color with fresh powdery citrus and red berry aromas; very primary intense vivid berry flavors burst wildly on the tongue leaving the palate both stimulated and refreshed.

Produce of 60% Grenache, 30% Cinsault and 10% Syrah fruit from vines on average 30 years old and planted to the clay and limestone soils of the Mont Saint‑Victoire at elevations of around 250 mètres. Alluring delicate sunset pink in color with what the Famille Sumeire call « peach reflections » and aromas of « fresh violet and wild strawberries »; back here in Austin we noted its ultra‑fresh aromas suggesting taut red berry fruits, peach and pith of watermelon, a palpably delicious equilibrium and vivid mouthwatering quality with gentle but lasting intensity of flavor on the finish.

No estate expresses the salt‑kissed limestone‑driven terroir of the idyllic Provençal seaside village of Cassis like Domaine du Bagnol, and the current generation, Sébastien Genovesi, crafts a rosé of scintillating energy, chiseled calcareous musculature, and gleaming red fruits. Comprising 50% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, and 20% Mourvèdre, Bagnol’s Cassis Rosé is pressed directly and rapidly (in under two hours) to extract as little color as possible, and the bottled wine (certified organic) contains only 20 milligrams per liter of total sulfur — a factor which contributes to its gorgeous purity of texture and intense evocation of limestone soil. ‑ https://rosenthalwinemerchant.com/

If certain bottles are emblematic of KLWM’s early history — Tempier’s Bandols and Joguet’s Chinons, to name just two — Anne Amalric’s rosé “gris” is one of the essential cuvées that have come to define the second half of our five decades in business. Kermit discovered it about fifteen years ago over lunch at the base of Corsica’s Monte Grosso, in a corner of the island so rural and rugged that cows grazed in the restaurant’s parking lot. It didn’t take long for it to become one of the wines that causes a stir among the staff when it lands in Berkeley. For starters, it performs a mesmerizing kind of trompe l’œuil: two red grapes, Sciaccarellu and a splash of Syrah, have produced a white wine? No, it’s a rosé, all right, but it has a nearly transparent hue because pressing the grapes very gently draws only the faintest hint of color. I haven’t tasted another vin gris that is so simultaneously weightless, ethereal, and full of character. A gentle wave of peach, melon, and spring flowers rolls over the palate and lingers long past your last sip. As is true every year, it’s a strong contender for Wine of the Summer. Tom Wolf, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant