Review: Rose Wines of Chateau Saint-Maur, 2015 Vintage
As summer begins to fade, we take yet another look at rose from France’s Provence region, this time including a trio of wines all from the same producer, Chateau Saint-Maur, which produces rose at the higher-end of the typical price band for this style.
Below we look at three wines from St.-Maur, all cru classe bottlings from the 2015 vintage.
2015 Chateau Saint-Maur Cotes de Provence Cru Classe – Grenache-heavy, with cinsault and carignan making up most of the rest of the blend (a half-dozen other grapes fill out the remaining few percentage points). This is the only “standard bottle” in this bunch compared to the oversized monsters below, this is a quite dry expression of rose, with light orange overtones and a simple, pleasant structure. Some grapefruit and quiet floral notes find a nice footing in the gentle finish. B+ / $25
2015 Chateau Saint-Maur L’Excellence Cotes de Provence Cru Classe – Grenache, cinsault, and syrah, in that order. Bottled (as is the Clos de Capelune) in a bottle with an ultra-fat base that will challenge any racking system you have. That aside, this is a pretty rose with more fruit to it than the other wines in this lineup, with peach and apricot notes leading the way to a modestly floral finish. Lively from start to finish with an enduring acidity. A- / $45
2015 Chateau Saint-Maur Clos de Capelune Cru Classe – Sourced from newly-acquired vineyards (hence the double name on the bottle), this blend spins things around, featuring cinsault first, then syrah, then a bit of grenache. Fragrant and floral on the nose, again with white flower petals and a touch of apricot notes. On the palate, it’s quite dry and even tannic at times, though the fruity finish, with its notes of peaches and a dollop of red raspberry, is often inspiring. A- / $65
2015 Chateau Saint-Maur Clos de Capelune Cru Classe
$65
