France: Château Saint-Maur, Clos de Capelune Prestige Rosé 2024, Côtes de Provence Cru Classé (Organic)

Grape varieties: Syrah (60%), Rolle aka Vermentino (25%) and Grenache (15%). Certified organic. 13% alcohol. 

A few kilometres from Saint-Tropez, Château Saint-Maur is one of only 18 estates in Provence awarded the prestigious Cru Classé designation, a status granted only to the historic, consistently high-quality domaines in Côtes de Provence.

Château Saint-Maur is known for producing some of the region’s most refined, terroir-driven rosés i.e. they look for their wines to have a sense of place, to express the unique characteristics of their vineyard sites. This is rosé winemaking of the highest level - while they do also make whites and reds.

This wine, Château Saint-Maur's flagship, comes entirely from the Clos de Capelune, a 14-hectare plot and the highest vineyard site (at 449m) in the entire Côtes de Provence region. Thanks to this altitude and the clay-limestone soils mixed with schist and quartz, it consistently receives strong critical praise for its structure, intensity, elegance, and complexity.

Clos de Capelune's high-altitude fruit gives it more persistence, tension, and longevity than a typical Côtes de Provence rosé.

It is a 'gastronomic' wine - Château Saint-Maur say it's not a glugging "poolside rosé" although I'd happily drink it by the pool with some nibbles! 

While perfect now, if you can keep your hands off it, it is capable of broadening in complexity with a few more years of bottle age (2028-2030), during which its fruit character will soften and savoury, herbal notes will develop.

The fruit is harvested by hand at night, so that the grapes are pressed at the coolest possible temperature to retain freshness and aromatic purity. Fermented slowly at low temperature, only in stainless steel.

This wine is a sommelier favourite, listed in some of the world's greatest hotels and restaurants. I have seen this wine in a famous London department store at £70 a bottle!

It is produced in very small quantities - only 6,500 bottles (and 1,500 magnums).

A wonderful wine for a summer celebration and/or a special gastronomic treat! 

The winemaker's tasting notes:

"Lychee colour with pale rose tints. A very delicate, elegant and a fine complex nose which appeals to the tasting of these fine flavours. Very sensual on the palate, this cuvée is supple with a fine volume and intensity. Powerful on the palate. A wine full of character."

Food Pairing:

To quote Château Saint-Maur themselves, "Clos de Capelune is a gastronomic wine, reserved for delicate dishes such as langoustine ravioli with Espelette chilli, white truffle risotto, milk-fed veal chops with melting vegetables and new garlic, grilled salmon, clams, prawns, or for a sweet touch, a Solliès fig tart with almond milk ice cream."

What the critics say:

Gold, Decanter World Wine Awards: "powerful, sensual, elegant; of extreme complexity.” 

Scores on average 93 points ("Excellent/Outstanding") since the 2014 vintage.