Exploring Famille Perrin Rosé Wines from Provence
Famille Perrin is the leading organic wine growers of the Southern Rhône Valley, where they occupy the region’s best terroirs. The family own many vineyards including Famille Perrin Les Crus and Miraval. Their values have given them a worldwide reputation for excellence: absolute respect for the soil, a commitment to manual methods and a deep belief that organic viticulture is the only way to express the true essence of the terroir.
The grapes used to produce Côtes de Provence Rosé are selected from the Château’s best parcels of land (Muriers, Longue and Romarin), as well as from a selection of vineyards close to the village of Correns, just north of Brignoles in the heart of Provence. The clay and limestone vineyards, partially in terraces, are located at an average of 350 metres. There is therefore a cool climate with large temperature swings between night and day.
The Famille Perrin Les Crus vineyards are located largely in the regional park of the Luberon, equidistance from Avignon, Aix-en-Provence and Manosque. The average altitude of the vineyard is 300 metres and it is therefore in a late maturity zone. The terroir is made up of ancient alluvial deposits with flat and round pebbles, limestone marl, some areas called Collets du Luberon (rocky zones close to clay in nature) and the results of alpine diluvium.
Notes on Miraval Côtes de Provence Rosé
The dry, mild winter led to an early budding of the vines followed by a wet and cold spring. The two episodes of frost caused some slight damage to the young shoots and a rather long re-growth of the vegetation. After a hot and dry summer harvesting occurred fairly early, commencing on 9th September and took 10 days. As a result, the wines are magnificent, very pure and straight forward, with good acidity, great minerality, tension and delicious aromatic notes of citrus.
Cinsault, Grenache, Rolle and Syrah grapes are use in the production of Miraval Côtes de Provence Rosé. The grapes are harvested exclusively in the morning and sorted twice and destemmed. The Cinsault, Grenache and Rolle grapes are pressed directly whilst the Syrah is vinified partially using the “saignee” method. 95% of the wine is then vinified in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, whilst the remaining 5% is put in barrels with bâtonnage.
Miraval Côtes de Provence Rosé is an elegant pale-pink colour, evoking a rose petal. On the nose the wine shows all its elegance: beautifully fresh, it exudes aromas of fresh fruit, currants and fresh rose with a zest of lemon. The refinement continues onto the palate with a beautiful likeliness and gourmet notes that subtly balance the mineral and saline notes. An irresistible wine that ends with a long finish with lemony notes. The wine pairs well with grilled chicken and fish and salty Feta and vegetable skewers on the barbecue.
Notes on Famille Perrin Luberon Rosé
The 2020 vintage in Southern Rhône was favoured by very good weather and therefore it is a very generous vintage, both in terms of quality and quantity. The harvest takes place between the last days of August and mid-September, when the grapes have reached optimal maturity. The harvest takes place early in the morning to preserve the freshness of the fruit and avoid oxidisation of the aromas. As soon as the grapes arrive at the winery, they are pneumatically pressed which allows the extract of the musts. Fermentation starts after settling and lasts approximately 15 days in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. After fermentation the wines are kept in stainless steel vats and slightly fined before bottling.
Famille Perrin Luberon Rosé is a seductive colour of limpid and shiny pink. On the nose, this wine opens with a smooth bouquet of red fruit with notes of currants and fresh pomegranate. Well balance between the fruit and the freshness, it offers a nice tension on the palate with a mineral finish. It should be served at between 10 -12’c with hors-d’oeuvres, cold buffets, tomato salad and grilled meat.