2022-C Les Hauts du Vallon Bandol Rose, Provence, France (750ml)
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A Seasonal Rosé Wine Club Selection
Beautiful, bright peach hue. Inviting aromas of freshly made strawberry jam. The palate delivers fresh summer fruits: strawberry, watermelon, white peach and citrus pith with a kiss of basil. Beautiful structure with a focused acid backbone. The finish is long and juicy with flinty minerality. Drink now through Thanksgiving and beyond. In our experience, Bandol Rosé can be even better a year after the vintage…
The 2022 Les Hauts du Vallon rosé is a blend of 74% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache and 6% Cinsault. The grapes were harvested, sorted and destemmed by hand to avoid harsh tannins. The fruit was then transferred to a pneumatic press where the juice was first allowed to free-flow into a temperature-controlled stainless-steel tank before a gentle pressing. Following alcoholic fermentation, the wine underwent a lengthy vatting period of between 20 and 30 days to allow the young wine to truly come into its own.
Les Hauts du Vallon is produced by Moulin de La Roque winery in the charming village of La Cadière-d'Azur, nestled in the hills of Bandol and looking toward the Mediterranean Sea. Established in 1950 as a cellar where vintners from Saint Cyr, Sanary and La Cadière could age their red wines, Moulin de La Roque began producing its own wines as a cooperative in 1964, and today includes 198 winegrowers. With vineyard holdings that span 754 acres across eight communes, Moulin de La Roque wines are made by blending grapes from disparate parcels, each highlighting its own unique terroir. Bandol’s climate and terroir is suited to growing a variety of red grapes thanks in part to its shape which resembles a natural amphitheater; the surrounding range of mountains and hills help protect the vineyards from Le Mistral, the strong northerly wind blowing through Southern France, while intense rainfalls and hot and dry summers are tempered by the maritime influence of the Mediterranean Sea. While 50% of Moulin de La Roque’s vineyards are planted to Mourvèdre, they also grow Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan for the reds and rosés and Clairette and Ugni Blanc for their white wines.