2018 Le Charmel Cotes de Provence Rose 750 ml

Le Charmel Rosé was voted a "Best Buy" in Wine & Spirits magazine’s August 2019 issue, where it was also called one of the "Year's Best Provençal Wines." We call it the ultimate crowd-pleaser, whether temperatures in your zip code are plummeting, or still topping 90 degrees. 

Father-son duo Charles and Mel Master have access to excellent vineyards around hillside sites in Provence’s Bandol subregion, and have produced the kind of classic rosé we love to drink regularly. We’re transported right to the south of France with one whiff of wild fresh herbs and pops of saline minerality which, given its under-$15 price tag, is a real accomplishment.

This classic southern French blend of Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Grenache, and a splash of Rolle delivers a quintessential Mediterranean experience—superbly fresh, with energy, verve, and complex spices that set it apart from wines twice the price. A saline-like, crushed-stone minerality is tinged with fresh wild herbs and delicate red berry flavors and aromas. 

Rosé wines by design are meant to be simple and refreshing—not overly oaked, or overly extracted, although there’s a time and a place for everything. But the Masters have mastered (pardon the pun) the affordable everyday rosé. 

Berries are hand-picked, hand-sorted, fully destemmed, pressed and aged in stainless steel with a bit of aging on the fine lees to add texture and a bit of mid-palate richness. We’d suggest serving this nicely chilled alongside grilled oysters, burgers, and fresh-picked corn-on-the-cob, and finishing with a selection of local hard and soft cheeses.