Wine Region: Provence

(2024) From a single vineyard of 100-year-old vines, Garrus is fermented and aged in new French oak, but larger 600-litre barrels. There's an intensity here, dried apricot and an earthy, dried fig nuance over both small red berries and a creamy almond and nut husk background. In the mouth there is immense concentration. It's a rosé with real grip and purpose, and many layers of flavour and texture. Another convincing Garrus, with extract and phenolic that few achieve, but importantly, done with grace and elegance too.

(2024) The massively popular Whispering Angel from Cave d'Esclans is a global phenomenon, but it is just one of several premium rosés made by this Provence-based producer. Majority  owned by LVMH, the range includes both estate wines and wines made from fruit sourced from local growers.

Though their £100 per bottle Garrus is a game-changer for the rosé sector (latest vintage to be reviewed soon), I always think this, the first of the range made from estate-grown fruit, is where Esclans moves into more serious fine wine territory.

The Château d’Esclans is a blend of Grenache and Rolle, fermented in a combination of steel and 600-litre oak barrels. Pale and peachy pink, the creaminess and very gentle sheen of oatmeal from the barrels adds a luxurious touch to the pert stone fruit and hint of redcurrant. The palate too has texture and creamy weight, and while filled with supple and smooth fruit, there's a bit of grip here and no shortage of balancing acidity. It's a rosé that doesn't want to be over-chilled, and will match mildly spicy foods as well as salmon or trout. Note that at time of writing, North & South Wines has this on sale by the six-bottle case, bring the per bottle equivalent close to £30.

(2024) An attractively package Provence rosé made for Tanner by Domaine Pey Blanc, it blends 80% Grenache with 20% Cinsault and is unoaked. Very pale in colour, on opening there's a big blast of pear-drops, a common trait in wines that have been fermented super cold. It's a touch difficult to get past that at first, but some watercolour paintbox and watermelon aromas come through. The palate it fruity and easy-going, pear again - crisp Asian pear perhaps - and small red berries, a peachiness develops. Certainly an aroma and flavoured-packed example, with a blast of fresh acidity in the finish.

(2024) Lampe de Méduse in its striking genie's lamp bottle is a pale and attractive, organic certified rosé from clay and limestone soils. The blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Tibouren, Mourvèdre and Syrah has a strawberry shortcake nose, delightfully crammed with summery red berries. The palate has real vibrancy, ripe and punchy berries scythed through by salts and lemon acidity. Very good.

(2024) Another wine closed with the 'Vinolok' glass stopper on a rather romantic rose-embossed bottle, this blends Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan. It's a another finely detailed wine from Sainte Roseline, pale, peachy and fragrant, summer berries and herbs, a fresh and lightly grassy and floral aspect to this. On the palate the acidity and that grassiness give this gastronomic potential, those adding a bit of seriousness to the pretty peach and lime flavours.

(2024) An organic certified pink from specialist retailer Vintage Roots, from vineyards between St Tropez and Toulon. It's a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault and is one of the fruitiest, punchiest wines of this tasting. A little more depth to the colour than some, with passion fruit and peach, pulpy strawberry and a juicy cherry acidity. Ramps up the vibrancy to good effect.

(2024) Galoupet is a £50 pink from the LVMH stable, conceived to be a little bit different from most other Provence rosés. The certified organic wine blends 52% Grenache with Tibouren, Rolle, Syrah and small amounts of Cinsault and Semillon. Packaged in a 70% recycled amber bottle it was also aged in larger French oak barrels. A touch deeper in colour than some, there's a hint of cedar and vanilla creaminess to this, some citrus and a melon rind sense of grip. A palate of bitter orange and taut red berries also carries the grip, through a touch of tannin and the higher alcohol (14%). Really quite different, and apparently ageworthy (the 2021 said to be drinking really well).

(2024) The 281 cuvée first appeared in 2015, with very small volumes made from Grenache vines with an average age of 25 years plus 5% each of Rolle and 5% Syrah. Unlike other £50+ rosés this sees no oak, and has delightfully vibrant but more orthodox white peach, cherry lips and paintbox aromas of cool ferment pinks. It is certainly refined and delicious, but whether the price makes sense compared to Minuty's other very fine rosés is a moot point.

(2024) A négociant wine, 60% Grenache, 30% Cinsault and 10% Syrah grapes from partner growers,  60% of the juices are free run. One of the palest wines from Minuty, it is delicate and dry, plenty of citrus and breezy mineral acidity, fruit is linear and the finish dry. Arguably a little less personality than the Prestige, for example, but gastronomic and quite fine.

(2024) 70% Grenache with 15% Syrah, Rolle and Cinsault, this is a part-negociant wine made using grapes from partner growers and the winery’s owned plots. 60% of the juices going in to the ferment  are free run. Quite a bold aromatic here, cherry and lipstick aromas and rosy red apple. The palate has some confectionery character, cherry lips and sour plum, again quite bold, fi ishing with that stony mineral acidity.