If you’re a wine lover or even a casual wine drinker and you live in a place where there are four seasons, you no doubt associate Rosé with the summer season. The reasons for this are probably variable and also endless - could it be the incessant marketing of rosé wines as soon as temperatures start to rise, the pretty pink hues of these wines that remind us of summer fruits such as strawberries and watermelons, or the numerous times you’ve been served a rosé at a friend’s summer party?  Whatever the reason, the association is hard to ignore.

Now believe me, I’m a firm believer that rosé can and should be drunk in every season, but given it is indeed the middle of summer as I’m writing this post, there seems to be no better time to indulge than now ;-)

As summer rolls in, I always go to my local LCBO (i.e. government owned and operated liquor store, for those who are not from Canada!) and I try to buy some interesting bottles of rosé, with a focus on wines that are special in some way.  This can be hard sometimes, as I wade through a seemingly unending lineup of pink coloured bottles….but I know there are some good ones that stand out from the rest and are worth seeking out.

I remember hearing someone once ask “Aren’t all rosés the same?  It’s just pink wine, instead of red or white, right?”.  Well my friends, the answer to that question is a resounding “No”.

Well made rosé wine is so much more and can easily rival white and red wine in terms of range of complexity, winemaking techniques, price points etc.  Sadly, most consumers don’t realize this...and to discuss this at length is it’s own blog post (I’ll get to it, I promise!).

In the meantime, if you want to drink a rosé with an interesting story, I suggest you look for one from Tavel! Of late, I’ve started taking a keen interest in rosé from Tavel, after hearing from a friend that these wines are very special.  So good is this wine in fact, that Ernest Hemingway famously declared it to be his favourite wine, and it was the same for many esteemed kings and popes before his time!

TAVEL - WHERE IS THAT AND WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?

Tavel is a commune in the Southern Rhone Valley that only produces rosé wine.  Located across the Rhone River from the ever-famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the Tavel AOC could be considered to be an equally famous cousin in its own right. 

The Tavel AOC is close to Avignon, has a hot, dry Meditteranean climate and is only about 9.3 square kms in size.  Though located in an area from which many rosés come (that is, many other communes in the Rhone Valley also produce rose wines), the fact that the Tavel AOC only produces rosé is what makes it very special to me and many other wine lovers around the world.

The wines from this region are a beautiful deep dark rich watermelon/cherry hue, and they tend to be spicier and more complex than other rosés due to the soil type of the region.  In addition, while most rosé wines are meant to be drunk young, rosé from Tavel is actually quite capable of cellaring well for a few years and continuing to develop complexity in the bottle.  Many wine enthusiasts in fact associate rosé from Tavel with fall/winter drinking as opposed to summer drinking because of its complexity (though don’t get me wrong, rosé from Tavel is served by many a pool or oceanside patio too!!).  

Have I got you interested in learning more about these wines now?  I hope so!  You can certainly impress a winegeek friend or two by telling them you like Tavel Rosé!

AND NOW, ONTO THE WINE OF INTEREST!

Chateau d’Aqueria Tavel Rosé 2019 came into my hands as a result of a recent jaunt to the liquor store.  I actually just happened to chance upon it while I was at the store picking up a different wine.  To be honest (and probably fairly superficial!), I was struck by its deep dark colour and clean, elegant label.  It really did stand out amongst a vision blurring sea of other rosé wines.  To then see that the wine was from Tavel was just icing on the cake.  So, like any good aspiring winegeek, I grabbed a bottle to try out.

It turns out I made a good choice as this is a lovely little wine from a very well known producer.  For my history-loving friends, the history of Chateau d’Aqueria dates back to 1595, when a nobleman named Louis Joseph d’Aqueria bought land from monks in the region. While the property changed many hands over the years, it has been in the same family for three generations.  There is a beautiful historic chateau on the property which I would love to visit some day, and the family really prides itself on understanding its terroir well and thereby making outstanding wines.  They are also quite committed to protecting the environment.

While Chateau d’Aqueria makes several wines, this is their only rosé and it is a well known and highly sought out wine from Tavel.  The wine is made from a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre and four other lesser known varieties.  The past vintages of this wine have earned many awards and accolades from well known wine professionals and wine magazines.

MY TASTING NOTES

This 2019 Chateau d’Aqueria Tavel Rosé displays beautiful hints of strawberries, floral notes, mint, a touch of warm baking spices and almost a creamy note on the nose.  In the mouth, the wine shows notes of red berries and is dry and not at all too sweet, with a lovely depth and richness. Definitely not a light rosé, this wine is nonetheless easy to drink while still complex enough to feel as if you are drinking something of substance.  It fills the mouth nicely, and is zesty, and could hold its own with many foods and in different seasons.

MY PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

Pair this wine herbed chicken, meaty fish, triple cream brie, or deeply spiced (but not necessarily spicy) dishes.  I could see this wine going amazingly well with jerk chicken, as an example!

I personally ate this with gluten free samosas, vegetable biryani and some indian daal...and I thought the wine really sang with the samosas, and did reasonably well with the biryani.  I snuck in a few potato chips too and it was definitely a nice match for these as well! :)

THE BOTTOM LINE

If you’re interested in trying something new, different, or with a story, grab this bottle.  I doubt you’ll be disappointed.  And remember - Tavel rosé is unique for a reason, and unique is always worth knowing! 

Santé!

LCBO Vintages Number: 319368

Price: $24.95