3 outstanding, affordable Provence rosés

I’M ALMOST RELUCtant to recommend these three outstanding rosé wines from France’s Provence region.

Part of that has to do with how perfect they are for this time of year.

Nothing tastes better than a chilled roséwine on a hot summer day.

But that’s also part of the problem with these wines. They have been pigeonholed into a specific, narrow box reserved for summer wines. What a shame.

Worst of all, they’re not alone.

So many great wines only get the attention they deserve in certain specific situations.

Red zinfandels perfect with steak.

Spanish sparkling wines ideal before dinner.

Five New Zealand sauvignon blancs tailormade for oysters.

See what I mean?

We’ve all read these articles. Heck, I’ve written a few of them.

But deep down, I firmly believe that a great wine tastes great, period.

It doesn’t matter if you have them on a hot summer day or a cold winter night. Or if you have them with salmon or steak or Slim Jims. Great wine is a great wine.

Sure, most red wines definitely taste better when it’s cooler. And big, hearty ones can tackle the earthy, complex flavors of many meat dishes. But you can just as well enjoy a great red wine on its own almost any day of the year – just probably not this week. It’s supposed to be another hot one in Western Mass.

So why am I saying all of this? Because if you don’t feel like opening these rosé wines this week, don’t worry. You can enjoy them any time of year.

I know some of you are probably tired of hearing me beat this drum. I’ve been raving about Provence rosés ever since I spent a week in France’s Provence region tasting hundreds of them for this wine column.

But I honestly can’t say enough great things about them. Provence rosés are outstanding, versatile, affordable wines – something that seems even more rare these days. All three wines recommended this week cost less than $30 a bottle, including one that costs less than $17.

Hope you enjoy.

Quick technical note

In my opinion, one of the reasons why Provence rosé wines taste so great has to do with blending. By law, Provence rosé wines must be made with a blend of at least two grapes. Grenache is the most popular grape used to make Provence rosé wines. The other four grapes often blended with grenache to make these wines are cinsault, mourvedre, syrah and tibouren. So my advice is keep these wines chilled and don’t add any ice to these wines if possible so they don’t lose any of their subtle flavors. Ok, enough wine nerd talk. Let’s get to the wines!

• 2022 Chateau De Berne Romance Rosé ($16.99 Suggested Retail Price)

Region: Provence, France

Grapes: 40% grenache noir, 30% cinsault, 15% syrah, 15% merlot

Tasting notes: Cheesy name, great wine. The first thing I noticed about this wine is its aroma – like a field of wildflowers with a breeze blowing through it. And that is even before the first sip, which is filled with flinty hints of sea salt, strawberry and a dash of melon and peach. Everything about this wine is crisp, clean, refreshing and delicious.

• 2022 Ultimate Provence Rosé ($23.99 SRP) this wine’s flavors are lighter than air and merely hint at dashes of sea salt, melon and fresh peaches. The best word to describe this wonderful wine is tender. I would also add gentle and sublime.

• 2022 BY OTT Cotes de Provence Rosé ($27 SRP)

Region: Provence, France

Grapes: 58% grenache, 30% cinsault, 10% syrah, 2% mourvedre

Region: Provence, France

Grapes: 30% syrah, 30% grenache noir, 30% cinsault, 10% rolle

Tasting notes: Made with grapes grown near the chic seaside town of Saint Tropez (it’s beautiful in the fall after the hordes of tourists leave),

Tasting notes: I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Domaine Ott, which I visited in 2019 as part of my Provence wine-tasting trip. Located nearSaint Tropez on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea, this winery’s wines perfectly capture this unique sense of place. You can practically taste the salty sea air in this crisp, mineral-like wine. There are also hints of peach, cherry blossoms and that wonderful sea air. The perfect wine for a perfect summer afternoon – or frankly any day of the year.

Cheers!

Wine Press by Ken Ross appears on Masslive.com every Monday and in The Republican’s Weekend section every Thursday.

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