Famille Perrin Tavel Rosé 2016

People can be funny about Rosé, often they'll hold it up to natural light, slowly rotating the bottle like they're a noted Bond Street jeweller. Hoping to see straight through, announcing; "the paler the better!" This style is very popular and normally associated with Provence but now hang on, this wine is actually quite dark. Don't worry, it's still dry and it's still refreshing, it's just the style of Tavel wines and very good it is too! In fact, Philip IV is supposed to have travelled through Tavel, where was offered a glass of wine, which he emptied without getting off his horse. Afterwards he proclaimed Tavel the only good wine in the world. Take that Provence... and well, every other wine in the world!

From the legendary Château de Beaucastel, to the partnership with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie at Miraval, Famille Perrin has experienced more than a century of success. Voted Personality of the Year 2014 by the leading European wine magazine – Decanter – Famille Perrin is now the largest owner of vineyards in the best terroirs of the Southern Rhone Valley. Both a pioneer and visionary family: a pioneer in organic farming since 1953 and in biodynamic winegrowing since 1970, the first to have used the Rhone varietals in the U.S. and to believe in the potential of Paso Robles from 1989. The Family also promote Rhone wines through the L’Oustalet restaurant and hotel, at the heart of a winegrowing village in Gigondas.

The Tavel goes through a 12-hour maceration to extract the rich colour associated with the region and goes through a cool fermentation to maintain light freshness of flavour. The wine shows delicate flavours of cranberries, pink grapefruit and white blossom.