2021-C La Borie Rose, Mediterranee IGP, France (750ml)
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A Seasonal Rosé Club Selection
Light pink peach hue. Very aromatic, with scents of ripe red berries and a hint of chalk. The palate is juicy and fruity, with flavors of red fruit, orange peel, thyme and chalky minerals. Bright acidity and a long, fruit-laced finish. Just delicious!
Château La Borie is a single-block 115-hectare estate with 75 hectares of vines and 35 hectares of forests, located in Suze-La-Rousse in the southern part of the Rhône Valley. La Borie is one of the few domains in Côtes-du-Rhône bearing the name of a Château. Originally the advanced bastion of the medieval Château de Suze-La-Rousse, it was linked by long underground galleries dug by the Templars. Since then, it has passed through several families. In 2018 Château La Borie came under the care of the Knapp family. Today it is managed by owner and winemaker, Raphael Knapp, who began converting to organic farming in 2019. The property is primarily planted to Syrah and Grenache, with some Cinsault, Mourvèdre and Marselan. In 2021 and 2022, Raphael planted the first white varietals on the property: Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Clairette Blanche, Picpoul, Roussanne and Viognier. Château La Borie is committed to making wines in a traditional (natural) way—with minimal intervention—harvesting earlier and limiting extraction to produce fresh, lively wines with moderate alcohol levels.
The La Borie rosé is composed of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah from a small 3-hectare plot of vines planted over clay, marl and stone. Hand-harvested and carefully sorted, the grapes were destemmed before undergoing a traditional saignée vinification in temperature-controlled concrete vats at 59°F, to ensure fruit purity in the foreground. No malolactic fermentation. The finished wine was bottled early (in January) to preserve the wine’s fresh fruit profile, with a Diam cork closure to guarantee no cork taint.