Choosing a rosé wine requires knowing its subtleties. To guide you in your selections, you must first of all understand the different grape varieties of Côtes de Provence rosé. We will enlighten you on this subject.
WHAT IS THE GRAPE VARIETY OF A WINE?
Before looking at the different grape varieties of Côtes de Provence rosé, let's look at the definition of a grape variety. Each wine has its own aromas and colour. This comes from the variety of the winee cultivated to make the wine. It is these winee varieties that we call grape varieties.
Thus, each winee plant has its own characteristics:
- The foliage;
- The shape of the bunches and the size of the grapes;
- The sugar, acidity and aroma content of grapes.
All these elements form a particular winee, which gives rise to a single grape variety. In France, we have many grape varieties, often classified by geographical area.
Thus, a wine can be made from a single grape variety (mono-varietal), or from several grape varieties.
What are the grape varieties of the Côtes de Provence?
Let's take a little tour of Provence, this sunny region that produces highly appreciated rosé, red and white wines.
The red and rosé grape varieties of Provence
The grape varieties of Provence used to make red and rosé wines are the most present in the region, and allow us to obtain wines of character with varied notes.
- Grenache: found on dry soils, Grenache is one of the most cultivated grape varieties in the world. Coming from Spain, it adapts to stony soils and is not afraid of wind or drought. It gives generous and very structured wines, with a bouquet of red fruits and spicy aromas.
- Syrah: a grape variety from Greece, Syrah offers rosé and red wines with a very colourful robe.
- Mourvèdre: also originating from Spain, Mourvèdre produces robust wines with black fruit aromas and high alcohol content. After ageing, we find spicy notes.
- Cabernet-Sauvignon: the most famous grape variety in the world, Cabernet-Sauvignon produces tannic and powerful wines that age very well. Depending on the Vintage and the Vintage, the wine can then take on complex aromas of cedar, spices and blackcurrant.
- Carignan: a very fertile grape variety, Carignan offers a powerful and highly alcoholic wine. It is often associated with other grape varieties, such as Grenache, to obtain a wine with red fruit aromas;
- Cinsault: often used in blends, Cinsault produces fine wines with pale colours and fruity aromas.
- The Tibouren : recognisable by its pale salmon colour and its aromas of white flesh fruits, the delicate wine made from the Tibouren grape variety is almost always wineified as a rosé.
The white grape varieties of Provence
Much less widespread, the white grape varieties of Provence are four in number.
- Le Rolle : from the southern territories, the Rolle offers a wine with aromas of citrus fruits, exotic fruits and pear. Balanced, fat and fine, its wine has a pretty pale yellow colour with green reflections. It is commonly known in Italy as "vermentino".
- Ugni White: the best known grape variety, it is often blended to form delicate and fine Provencal white wines.
- Clairette: recognisable by its white and rosé grapes, Clairette gives acidulous, supple and aromatic wines with a clear yellow colour.
- Sémillon: this grape variety, sensitive to the terroir, produces full-bodied white wines with white flower aromas.
THE DIFFERENT GRAPE VARIETIES TO MAKE A ROSÉ CÔTES DE PROVENCE
As a general rule, Côtes de Provence rosés are made from the same grape varieties as red wines. The difference in colour simply comes from a more or less long contact between the skin and the grape juice. Then, the grape varieties can be used on their own or in blends. However, from one country to another, the grape variety chosen will be different.
Indeed, the rosé grape varieties depend a lot on the land on which they are grown, and therefore on the country. While a rosé from Spain will be made from a Tempranillo or Garnacha variety, a rosé from Italy will opt for a Sangiovese, just as France will make its rosés with a Cabernet.
Note that the Côtes de Provence rosé is characterized by typical aromas of grapefruit, stdryberry, raspberry, redcurrant, almond, linden, cut hay and garrigue.
Would you like to discover the grape varieties of the Côtes de Provence rosé? The Chateau de Berne invites you to discover the castles and wineeyards of a region where the excellence of the wines is at its peak.
