We love rosé, from the pale blush colours to the rich raspberry hues – there’s no occasion that can’t be enhanced with a delicious glass of something pink. We’ve got your classic mineral-driven Provence styles like Domaines Ott by Ott 2015 to the more new world styles like Jim Barry 'Annabelles' 2017 and even a few cheeky rosé bubbles (perfect for upcoming summertime beach trips with a side of fish n’ chips).
But when we talk about iconic dry styles of Rose there's only one place to look - Provence.
The Cotes de Provence is located in the very south-east of France, all along the Mediterranean coast from the regional capital of Marseille to the border of northern Italy. This appellation is the largest in the Provençal region, spread across a massive 20,000 hectares of vines. Across such a large expanse of land there are many variations in soil type and climate (there are 84 different communes within this region), but as a general rule, the region is classified as Mediterranean; long, warm, sunny summers, mild winters and stormy autumn and spring. The region receives about 3000 hours of sunshine per year, so ripening fruit is never a problem- as a quick comparison; Burgundy receives 1910 hours per year. The proximity to the Mediterranean sea provides cooling afternoon breezes, however, which ensure the region does not get too hot. The main issue the region faces in this warm, sunny climate is a lack of water. Rainfall in the Cotes de Provence is an average of less than 700mm/annum, and irrigation in this region is forbidden, except during prolonged periods of drought- even then it is still government regulated!
One other issue in the Cotes de Provence region is the powerful Mistral wind, which blows all year-round down the valleys of the Rhone, bringing cold air from central and northern Europe. This wind can be both a curse and a blessing, as the breeze is effective in keeping humidity low, meaning there is significantly reduced the risk of fungal diseases in the vineyard, but can also severely upset a delicate time in the flowering process of the vine known as ‘fruit set’. The grapevine self-fertilises you see, and if the wind hits at the wrong time, self-pollination doesn’t occur meaning - there is no fruit, and no crop for that year. Thankfully, the trusty workhorse variety of the region is well-adapted to warm, windy climates, and requires less water than most vines- I am speaking of course of the wonderful Grenache vine.
80-85% of Cotes de Provence’s production (depending on the harvest) is dry, crisp Rosé. Rosé has had a home in this region for a long time- in fact it was only up the road in Tavel where records show the first ever Rosé was made, almost 200 years ago! Rosé is the answer to the ultimate winemaking oxymoron; in hot growing regions, where all you would want to drink is something light, fresh and dry, the majority of wines produced are highly alcoholic, hot, heavy wines, whereas in cool regions, where you feel like a hearty, heavy wine, all that can be produced are light, fresh low-alcohol wines. Rosé from Cotes de Provence bucks this trend by providing the perfect crisp, dry and thirst-quenching wine to locals and visitors to the region, made from a variety usually known for big, heavy and jammy reds. Rosé sales over the last 5-10 years have seen massive growth worldwide, and an interesting trend has emerged; before this, Rosé sales were only good in the spring/summer months, falling off over autumn/winter, however now Rosé sales persist throughout the year. Maybe people are trying to bring back the memory of summer in those colder months. There is nothing quite like a Cotes de Provence Rosé, and you can almost picture the calm, blue Mediterranean and feel the gentle baking sun when you open a bottle. Or maybe that’s just me and my wishful thinking…
