Lush summer berry fruit abounds in this delightfully crisp rosé crafted at Noël Bougrier’s Loire cellar. It’s a classic blend of Cabernet Franc and Gamay, producing a pink with enticing, juicy, strawberry flavour and exhilarating freshness.
Best known in Beaujolais, Gamay also excels in the Loire, lending juicy strawberry notes, while Cabernet Franc is more raspberry and leafy. After a gentle crushing, the juice was drawn off the skins to ensure a pale pink hue and cool fermented to retain lovely summer berry notes.
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Cabalié's popularity is down to a rare combination of imposing richness and easy drinking smoothness. Recreating that in white was no easy task. But Cabalié maestro Hervé Sabardeil has done it – years of searching, blending and hard work come to fruition in this, his ultimate expression of a southern French white. The magical grape mix is old-vine Viognier for intense honeysuckle aroma and soft texture, Muscat for dazzling grapey notes, and Colombard to keep it all zesty. And of course the other key ingredients are bright southern French sunshine, which ripens the grapes to perfection, sea breezes to keep them healthy and night harvesting to ensure maximum freshness. Bursting with tropical fruit, Cabalié is perfect with seafood or chicken.
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The Rapeneau family has been producing Champagne for over a century and oversee the production of the Louis Dumont label.
Now 4th generation, they are committed to high quality through understanding the nuances of the various subregions.
With five main grape growing areas in Champagne, careful selection of the grapes is a major influence on the style of the fizz.
Louis Dumont is a delicious, fruit-forward bubbly, ready to be enjoyed. It’s crafted from grapes from Vallée de la Marne – known for its fruity Pinot Meunier and peachy Chardonnay – and Côtes des Bars, with its reputation for full-flavoured, ripe Pinot Noir.
It’s a Pinot-dominated blend, brimming with red fruit flavour, refreshing citrus, and classic brioche notes. Chill and enjoy.
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Golds and many high scores for this luxurious Premier Cru, pure Chardonnay Champagne – rich and long.
Paul Goerg is a leading independent Champagne house, as this Premier Cru testifies. Owned by eight grower families, it was voted by Le Guide Hachette as the top Champagne out of 100 tasted – above vintage Veuve Clicquot and equal to Krug. Goerg is named after a respected 19th century mayor of Vertus, located in the famous Côte des Blancs. Here, Chardonnay is king and an impressive 85% of it is classified as Premier Cru.
The elegance, finesse and purity of this variety is the hallmark of the Goerg style, enriched here with 40-50% reserve wine. The chalky soils of Vertus lend a rich, yet refreshingly mineral quality, while three years’ ageing adds considerably to the wine’s complexity. Superb for celebrations and lovely with oysters.
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Dubbed as the “Princess of Champagne” by the press, Virginie Tattinger worked alongside her father in the world-famous Tattinger Champagne empire for 21 years. But she left in 2006, now makes excellent Champagne in her own right.
For a great value rival to the wines of Provence, look to Bordeaux. Here, among the classic family estates and old vines, dry, elegant and fruit-filled rosé shines. Try this 2019 – brimful of strawberry, gooseberry and pink grapefruit flavours.
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Gascony used to be a one-trick pony, making the fine spirit of Armagnac. The market for that dropped dramatically 30 years ago, and growers had to search for another use for their grapes. They discovered that their Atlantic influenced climate was ideal for producing crisp, fruity whites. Good value too. Domaine de Mouchan, on the edge of the Landes de Gascony forest, has been the pride and joy of the Braisant family since 1949.
They have 58 hectares of vines growing local heroes Colombard, Ugni Blanc, Gros Manseng, even the red grape Tannat, plus Sauvignon and Chardonnay. They still produce eau de vie Armagnac, but also bright crisp, fruit driven whites like this gem. Chill down, it makes a delightful apéritif or partner to lighter dishes.
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Provence is France’s premier rosé region and Domaine de Paris is one of its most stylish and elegant. A previous vintage even gained mention in the prestigious US journal Wine Spectator: “Very good – a wine with special qualities. Dry and refined, with dried berry and cherry flavors and plenty of minerally notes.” The estate has been owned since 1900 by three generations of the Brun family.
50 year old Syrah and Grenache vines produce fruit of superb concentration and impeccable purity. There’s a tantalising steeliness to the structure, a flinty backbone coupled with wild strawberries and a lovely savoury note. Fine Provence rosé is not just for summer! The locals enjoy it all year round, on its own or with seafood, chicken or ratatouille.
