L’Opale Cotes De Provence

Wine Spectator: “Offers a deft balance of luscious minerality, vibrant red fruit flavors and rich, spicy notes. Ripe melon and candied citrus fill the finish, accompanied by hints of cream and salted almond. Drink now through 2015.” June 2013

Winery: “Pale pink coloring with sparkles of gray; deliciously refined nose of spring flowers; mid-palate, floral notes continue with also a little lemon; longevity in palate as well.

The apellation Cotes de Provence is the most widely known appellation of Provence. Its geographic area comprises 84 towns of the Var, Bouches-du-Rhone and Alpes-Maritimes (1 town) departments. Presenting a certain diversity of terrain, the entire area is subject to the Provencal mediterranean climate. The vineyards, which cover about 18,000 hectares, produce a majority of roses, drawn mainly from Grenache, Cinsaut, Carignan and Syrah. Halfway between the northern area of the appellation, the coolest lands, and the especially warm coastal area, the Maures plain, in the permian depression, the wine benefits from a mixed microclimate entirely conducive to the production of rose wines. Cotes de Provence wines are both smooth and powerful.

Fresh wine, pleasant and agreeable. Serve at a temperature of 46°F to 50°F.

Varietal: 50% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 20% Carignan

Region: Cotes de Provence, France

13% ABV / 26 Proof