2022-C La Fouquette Rose, Cuvee Julian, Cotes de Provence, France (750ml)
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A Seasonal Rosé Wine Club Selection
Pale peach-colored hue. Aromas of dried raspberries and pink grapefruit peel. The medium bodied palate shows flavors of red berries, sour orange, citrus pith and roses. Nicely balanced acid, with a solid mineral core and a touch of spice on the finish.
Founded in 1946, Domaine de la Fouquette is a family-owned estate located on a forested plain amidst the Massif des Maures mountains, in the heart of the Côtes de Provence appellation. First known for producing robust red wines with round but assertive tannins, the estate quickly developed techniques to deliver fresh and fruity rosés with the arrival in 1994 of the consultant oenologist Bruno Tringali. Today, Isabelle Daziano represents the third generation of her family to make wine at the domaine. She and her husband Jean-Pierre took over the winery in 2009, after tiring of their careers in the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries, respectively. The couple immediately converted the 51-acre estate to organic farming practices, eventually gaining Biodynamic certification. This assists in preserving the domaine’s biodiverse landscape, made up of umbrella pines, cork oaks and chestnut groves and in which nearly 180 protected species coexist. Additionally, the duo assists Isabelle’s parents with La Fouquette’s charming auberge. Here they entertain guests at the 45-seat farmhouse restaurant, serving traditional Provençal recipes handed down from Isabelle’s grand-mère, and made exclusively from locally grown ingredients.
Not surprisingly, Domaine de la Fouquette’s winemaking philosophy is minimal intervention. The Cuvée Julian is a dry rosé comprised of 75% Grenache, 20% Rolle (Vermentino) and 5% Cinsault. The grapes were harvested in the early morning, between 4am and 7am, when the temperature was the lowest, to avoid extracting too much color and maintain the grapes’ naturally fresh aromatics. After sorting, the grapes were gently pressed; the juice was cooled then fermented entirely in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks.