My Favorite Wine…this week anyway. August 30, 2018

2017 Domaine de Terrebrune

Bandol Rosé

Provence, FR

Regular Price $40.99

Sale Price $31.99

Wine is regularly contradictory. To wit: it’s a one ingredient product that has almost limitless variations. In some cultures, its the beverage of the masses; in others, clearly, the beverage of the classes. The rules for service and consumption were largely devised outside of the areas of actual knowledge and production. And to many, hyperbole and unfounded opinions are more valuable than one’s own preference.

Which brings us to rosé.

Rosé has been around for centuries, yet most people think its new. It’s almost always made dry, yet many fear that (due to its color?) that it will be sweet. It can be made from an enormous array of grapes into a wide variety of styles, yet people think the dry, crisp, light & bright style defines it. In some places, some rosés are consumed in summer, therefore its a summer wine. And, because some rosé doesn’t age particularly well (like most wines) than people assume that no rosé will age well.

The mere existence of this wine proves the fallacy of most of the above.

Full, bold, and rich, it’s a late release rosé, because it’s aged for 6-8 months before bottling. It goes through malolactic fermentation, so it’s rounder, creamier and less acidic. Made of a blend of ripe red grapes (Mourvedre, Grenache and Cinsault) from a warm climate (southern France), its a full bodied rosé that will pair well with rich foods including…barbeque. It’s the perfect wine for a cool, rainy, holiday weekend. Or any other time.