Located 10 miles south of Arles, in the Camargue region of Southern France, lies the certified organic Mas de Valériole estate. Run by the Michel family since the 1950's, they take great advantage of their diverse soil types (sand, loam, clay, and limestone) to craft the quintessential Provencal rosé.
Brought to us by legendary importer Neal Rosenthal, this unique blend of 80% Caladoc, 10% Merlot, and 10% Syrah combines the freshness one expects from Provence with a sense of wildness and an underlying salinity that is very Camarguais.
It all adds up to a bottle of deliciousness, and we just received our yearly allocation. Like many of the wines we love, this comes from a tiny, family-run winery, and there's just not much wine to be had.
2024 Mas de Valériole 'Vé' Méditerranée Rosé: Why should you buy it?
- It is delicious, captivating, and enchanting. I just had a bottle last night, and I love the new release. Bright, salty, and long on the finish, it offers up gorgeous notes of raspberry, blood orange, ripe citrus fruits, peach skin, and mineral.
- What the heck is Caladoc. It's a Grenache and Malbec crossing that was bred in 1958 to have similar characteristics to Grenache but with less sensitivity to coulure, a poor fruit-set condition.
- Today, the grape is enjoying a renaissance of sorts, and many producers throughout Southern France are recognizing that the grape can yield compelling red and pink wines.
- The grape reaches its peak expression in the Provencal zone of Camargue. Situated between the two arms of the Rhone River Delta, it is a region of raw and rugged beauty, far removed from the idyllic seaside beach towns of the French Riviera, but equally spectacular.
- After all, this is where Gaugin, Picasso, and Van Gogh set up shop to capture the area’s spellbinding southern light. I wonder if they were sipping on a glass of rosé while they were creating their masterpieces?
If they were, I can guarantee you it wasn't as good as this one! Drink this savory and mouthwatering dry rosé during the warmer months with fresh vegetables, flaky white fish, or low country boils.
