Freshly cut watermelon, ripe peach aromas and floral notes lead to a palate alive with wild strawberries and hints of mineral notes. Crisp acidity and a refreshing finish. Blend: 38% Cinsault, 32% Grenache, 23% Syrah, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon.”A fresh and juicy rosé with notes of grapefruit, white pepper and dried flowers. Medium body with bright acidity. Vivid and well-balanced with a fruity, delicious finish.The grapes are gently destemmed, cooled and pressed. The juice and the skins remain in contact for 24 hours. After this brief maceration, 8% of the Syrah goes straight into wooden barrels for primary and malolactic fermentation. The Cinsault, Grenache and remaining Syrah are fermented in stainless steel tanks, blocked from malolactic fermentation. The two different lots are aged separately and blended prior to bottling.
Chateau Routas Coteaux Varois en Provence Rose
$17.99
Description
Founded in 1992 by Philippe Bieler, the Routas estate was purchased in 2005 by Scottish entrepreneur Sir David Murray, former Chairman of the Glasgow Rangers Football Club. The 642 acres property includes 135 acres of strategically planted vine parcels scattered throughout the rocky, heavily-wooded terrain in this unspoiled, high- elevation sector of Provence Today, Sir David’s son Keith directs Routas’ international commercial affairs from offices in Edinburgh and New York, while day-to-day operations in Provence are handled by former Domaine Ott enologist Jean-Louis Bavay and Vineyard Manager Philippe Saraciva. Saraciva grew up in the Var and joined Routas right out of viticulture/enology school. Both men made the transition from Routas’ former ownership. The sustainable farmed estate abounds in the agricultural diversity that is key to vine health. The 290 hectares encompass wheat fields and olive trees, and black truffles stud the earth. Red poppies give way to brilliant yellow sunflowers, and in the fall, the surrounding forests yield abundant mushrooms-cepes (porcini), fragile girolles, and morels. Helpful insects play their part in keeping the vines disease-free.The terrain is punctuated by a stunning geological anomaly, the 270 meter-deep Infernet Hole (Devil’s Hole), a canyon thought to have been created by a meteor collision. The hole is a favorite refuge of the local wild boars, which are unfortunately a little too fond of the Chateau Routas grapes!As in all the best properties, the Chateau Routas soil varies dramatically, resulting in small vineyards that are often unusually shaped. Some plots are red as crushed brick, while others are of crumbly gray limestone mixed with bright red stones that bleach in the hot summer sun. The elevation is among Provence’s highest, providing cool nights that slow the ripening of the grapes, contributing complexity, and dictating harvests that are up to a month later than those nearer the coast.
