From: Pierrevert, France
Blend: Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, Vermentino
Taste: Aromas and flavors of red berries, like wild strawberries and raspberries, meet peach, citrus, white flowers, and traces of wild lavender and thyme. This breezy, mineral-laden, full-flavored rosé from Pierrevert will give you nothing but good vibes and aspirations for the south of France.
Pairing: Wines like this charming rosé naturally go with foods we traditionally associate with Provence—Bouillabaisse, mussels, fish, vegetables sautéed in olive oil, a grand aioli & frites, chêvre—but it’ll also go exceptionally well with Asian food (we’re sharing a recipe below inspired by both pairing notes) and all the other staples of the table like burgers, roast chicken, turkey, lamb, omelets, vegetarian dishes, and salads.
Coconut Fish Stew With Basil and Lemongrass
By Melissa Clark
About, in general. Coteaux de Pierrevert (now known as Pierrevert) is a little-known appellation of 450 ha created in 1998. The vineyards are located in the Alps of Haute Provence at between 420 and 550 meters of altitude, among the highest in France. The 62 ha of Domaine Blaque, recognized as the leading estate of the appellation and certified organic, are managed by two oenologists, Gilles Delsuc, who earned his degree in Dijon, and his wife, Laurence.
For Gilles, “La Blaque is an exceptional terroir. The micro-climate, the diversity of the soils, and the orientation of the vineyards are optimal. With almost 320 days of sun every year and a wide variation of temperature between the day and the night due to the altitude, the conditions are favorable for a well-balanced ripening of the grapes, which allows us to harvest in mid-September. The soils are clay-limestone, but with a lot of variation going from very chalky soils to heavier clay soils. The conditions are outstanding for Mediterranean viticulture.”
The vineyards are planted for the most part on southern exposed hillsides, and the yields are limited to 35-40 ha/hl. The wines profit from the Mediterranean climate for the sun and the alpine climate for cooler temperatures, which results in wines of aromatic complexity and concentration, reminiscent of certain great wines of the Rhone Valley.
About the wine. The 2022 Domaine la Blaque Pierrevert Rosé ‘Tradition’ is a blend of (undisclosed amounts of) Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, and Vermentino from 15 hectares total of vineyard area. These vineyards have poor clay-limestone soils on a rocky bedrock. After harvest, 95% of the grapes that went into this rosé were pressed directly. Meanwhile, 5% of this wine was taken from an already-fermenting red wine tank and blended with the direct press juice for color and structure. This blend spent 15 days on its lees for 15 days to stabilize prior to fermentation at low-temperatures.