The 24th edition of the Salon du Millésime 2014 Cotes de Provence was held for the first time in the Alpes-Maritimes, at Mandelieu Congress Expo Centre.
The Cotes de Provence appellation include 84 municipalities and covers about 20,000 ha in three departments: Var, Bouches-du-Rhone and an enclave in the Alpes-Maritimes. On Monday, March 23, 2015, nearly 200 winemakers from the Cotes de Provence appellation were showcasing theirs wine to professional buyers for the first time in Mandelieu. The star of the show, the Rosé, the pleasurable wine born in Provence, enjoyed a special position.
The Rosé enjoyed worldwide
After two years of declining production, the 2014 weather contributed to a significant harvest of Rosé that will enable meet the needs of the market. France is the largest producer of Rosé in the world and if it is also the largest consumer, Rosé consumption is increasing around the world – Brazil, China, USA, Belgium and United Kingdom ahead – delighting 342 million fans across the planet who tasted 24 million hectoliters of it. The growth in the US market is currently the most important.
2014 climatic conditions
The Cotes de Provence benefited from a mild and well watered winter. The Provence then experienced a rather warm and dry spring. August and September have had a sunny disposition in the end, an “Indian summer” enabling the Provençal grapes to complete their maturity. However, the presence of localized rainfalls and cool nights favored the maturity of polyphenols and aromas.
Organoleptic characteristics
The Cotes de Provence Rosé wines 2014 vintage have a palette of pale pink color, ranging from pale salmon to old pink shades, and feature a sheer, luminous color. Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah make up the top three grape varieties used, sometimes supplemented by contributions of Mourvedre and Rolle.
The quality of the 2014 harvest offered the different terroirs of Provence the opportunity to fully express their specificity and typicality in the development of clear, complex and aromatic Rosés, emblematic of Provence.
Rosé wines Cotes de Provence 2014 vintage are fine, delicate and balanced, with notes of red fruit aromas (currant, raspberry, cherry), exotic fruits (lychee, passion fruit) with a balance between roundness and freshness leading into a bright, “gouleyant” finish.
Identity and typicality of Rosés
Cotes de Provence Rosé wines are the result of constant quality improvement undertaken by the Research and Experimentation Centre on Rosé, a unique research centre in the world. The centre studied the components of the Rosé identity: a strong influence of the soil (minerals, water reserves, microclimate), wine-growing (choice of grape leaves, leaves/grapes ratio) and oenological expertise (cold chain, oxygen control, aging of wine…). This research has developed a Rosé with outstanding characteristics: elegance, harmony, finesse, amyl fruit, citrus, tropical fruit, good minerality and beautiful balance on the palate between roundness and freshness.
The terroir approach
The Salon du Millésime 2014 Cotes de Provence welcomed the arrival of the new Appellation de Terroir Pierrefeu after those of Sainte Victoire, La Londe and Frejus. The terroir appellations highlight an aromatic range, a selection of varietals and a specific technique in a part of Provence. Pierrefeu, extending between the cities of Cuers, Puget-Ville and Pierrefeu, is characterized by a climate: little rain, maritime influence in summer, no frost in winter, a very stony terroir that give powerful Red wines with no aggressive tannin and Rosé wines offering a tasting crescendo with great length in mouth.
The first vintage of Appellation Terroir Cotes de Provence Pierrefeu was born in 2013.
La Vie en Rose
An example of the Cotes de Provence winemakers dynamism and creativity with the launch of La Vie en Rose, a new vintage by Château Roubine in Lorgues.
La Vie en Rose is a Rosé inspiring to escape, offered in an original-shaped bottle. Its light pink salmon color with slight grey tints, its freshly cut grass perfume mingled with geranium and pelargonium, old roses and petals powder, its rounded palate give this wine a harmony, elegance and appeal to “gourmandise”. To enjoy with a beautiful Mediterranean fish. A perfect match on a bouillabaisse or a bourride.
Provence Wine Route
Like Alsace, the Rhône Valley and other wine regions, the Provence is listed as one of the best regions in terms of wine tourism.
The winemakers of Provence are full of original ideas and initiatives to invite the public to push the doors of numerous “caveaux” in the region: nature walk, horseback ride, bike ride, picnic at the winery, theater in the vineyards, bed & breakfast, discovery rally, art exhibition, concerts and even a vineyard regatta.
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