C’est La Rosé
122 years of passion and precision can be tasted in expertly crafted wines by
n 1896, a young agronomy engineering graduate from Alsace named Marcel Ott roamed France until he found the perfect conditions for his first vineyard in Provence, with the blue waters of the Mediterranean but a stone’s throw away. He eventually purchased more estates in the province. His passion would be tested as a phylloxera outbreak damaged the soil in the area. But he persisted, carefully nurturing the soil and coaxing the land back to health until noble grapes could be grown again.
The spirit of this quest, one implying a sense of adventure tempered by purpose and patience, would eventually carry across generations and become, in all senses of the word, a brand culture.
120 years later, two descendants, Christian and JeanFrançois Ott, decided to uphold their forebear’s love for the vine by partnering with champagne maison Louis Roederer, another name in the field of fine wine, to form the Domaines Ott marque.
Growing their grapes in three estates of distinctive character— Château de Selle, Clos Mireille, and Château Romassan —Domaines Ott wines are enjoyed for their complex but not overwhelming flavours, as these are blended from a proprietary selection of premium grapes.
Rigorous methods persist throughout the estates, utilising organic farming, landscaping, and pruning techniques that maximise the health not only of the grapes but of the soil and environment in which they are grown. During more difficult years, the maison would reduce the quantity of wine produced in order to maintain its standards of quality.
It is interesting to note that the finished wines are kept in uniquely designed bottles that are reminiscent of Greco-Roman amphorae which were used in ancient times to store wine, as well as other beverages and foodstuffs.
The Domaines Ott Côte de Provence rosé reflects the heart of grapes grown in sun-drenched limestone soil, with Grenache as the major grape in the blend. Cinsault grapes round the flavours out as Syrah and Mourvèdre variants add fruity notes. Light and luxuriant with a rosy gold appearance, this wine teases with citrusy and floral fragrances for a subtly spicy finish with an edge on the palate.