15 Refreshing French Rosé Values
By Gillian Sciaretta, Sep 3, 2020
Tasting Highlights’ wine reviews are fresh out of the tasting room, offering a sneak peek of our editors’ most recent scores and notes to WineSpectator.com members.
As we enter September, summer is winding down. It may not have been a typical travel season this year, but we can still squeeze in a summer escape through southern France’s beverage of choice: rosé. This week we’ve selected 15 French rosés to enjoy over Labor Day weekend and beyond. Even better, they all offer friendly prices at scores up to 91 points.
These wines represent a range of regions and styles. The top-scoring pink is from Tavel in the Southern Rhône Valley, produced by cooperative Les Vignerons de Tavel. The small Tavel appellation is dedicated to powerful rosés with deep color and moderate tannins, making them great food companions. From Languedoc, rosé master Gérard Bertrand offers three of this week’s picks, all blends of hallmark southern French grapes like Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault. This includes his Hampton Water bottling, a wine co-produced with rock icon Jon Bon Jovi and his son Jesse Bongiovi. At $23, it’s a terrific value, along with Bertrand’s Cotes des Roses cuvée, which offers melon and spice notes in its signature rose-embossed bottle.
Several of these wines come from Provence, the heartland of French rosé. Standouts include Château de Berne’s elegant Inspiration and Domaines Ott’s creamy By.Ott pink. Winery Bieler Père & Fils brings another of this week’s top values with its Sabine, a lively version with raspberry and cherry flavors at $15. With so many standout rosés available, it’s a good time to pick a bottle and enjoy a bit of southern France in your glass!
COMMANDERIE DE LA BARGEMONE
Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence Rosé 2019
Score: 88 | $22
WS review: Rose water and anise details mark the ripe melon, tangerine zest and white raspberry flavors of this creamy rosé, with hints of heather and wet stone on the finish. Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now. 30,000 cases made, 20,000 cases imported.—G.S.
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