Benefits of age: Gabay’s half-dozen rosés to tuck away
1 Domaine La Grande Bauquière, Moment Singulier, Côtes de Provence 2021 93
POA Alliance Wine
New oak on the nose almost dominates the aromas, but exotic flower notes peek round the edges. Charmingly juicy white peach, lychees and creamy (reflecting the chalky limestone of Ste-Victoire) and sweet nutty new oak up front, with some hidden depth of dark berry and cherry fruit developing on the palate. Beautiful structure, with some gentle tannins and lime acidity. A serious gastronomic wine with ageing potential. Drink 2022-2028 Alcohol 13%
2 Moulin-La-Viguerie, La Combe des Rieu, Tavel, Rhône 2020 93
£29-£29.50 (2019) Natty Boy Wines, Salusbury Winestore
Even with a good amount of white grape varieties in the blend, this wine is full of juicy raspberries, cherries and strawberries, with supple, intense black tannins and sour red berry acidity, complex notes from the oak of toast and coffee coming through on the finish. Lovely balance, building in complexity and concentration.
Promises great ageing potential.
Drink 2022-2035 Alc 14.5%
3 Château Les Mesclances, Faustine, Côtes de Provence La Londe 2021 92
£19.95 (2020) Davy’s
Extended maceration to emphasise the ageing potential also serves to heighten the saline minerality of the coastal schist terroir. Silky soft, velvet texture with intense, long, mouthwatering minerality. Full-bodied with ripe, dark berry fruit, crunchy salinity and long, linear, direct attack. Combines both restrained elegance and powerful structure, hidden fruit pushing beneath the surface to appear with age. Drink 2022-2028 Alc 13.5%
Domaine la Suffrène, Tradition, Bandol, Provence 2020 90
£19.50-£22.49 Deliciously French, Joseph Barnes, L’Art du Vin, Les Caves de Pyrene, S&J Cellars, Sip Wines This is on the cusp of moving from youthful freshness to slightly more mature fruit. The dark cherry and full structure plays with the more exotic fruit and creamy notes and is balanced by youthful, crunchy wild berries with their delicate length and fresh acidity. The weighty structure finishes with textural phenolics. Drinking well now, and the fruit will continue to integrate into a seamless, complex wine. Drink 2022-2032 Alc 13.5%
Domaine Lafond Roc-Epine, Tavel, Rhône 2021 89
£17.95 Brompton Wine, Fraziers, Latitude Wine, Le Bon Vin, Montrachet, The VIneking, Vindinista The perfumed florals of the Cinsault and Clairette in the blend give pretty aromatics of sweet spice, jasmine tea, dried apricots, opening up to creamy peaches, apricots and fresh raspberries. Long, crisp acidity with some fine tea tannins. Fresh elegance reflecting the newness of the vintage and the wine’s potential for ageing. The fresh fruit will develop more intense dried fruit character, with the spice notes adding to the complexity. Drink 2022-2035 Alc 13.5%
Domaine Tempier, Bandol, Provence 2021 88
£29.99 (2020) Lea & Sandeman, Noble Grape
A youthful, fruit-forward wine with almost red jam richness on the nose. On the palate, crunchy red fruit and green leafy-fresh acidity, not dissimilar to the typical Provence rosé style, but with more powerful, strong phenolic extraction. Quite restrained at first, slowly opening up to reveal quite a powerful structure and riper fruit. Drinkable now, but seems a shame to open it while so young and before its potential (hence lower score) is reached with a few years of age. Drink 2023-2032 Alc 13%