2019 Chateau Miraval Cotes de Provence Rose France 750 ml

Few labels have redefined an entire style of wine quite like Château Miraval did in its stunning 2012 debut vintage. The rosé category’s meteoric ascent since then can almost be traced to the moment when that wine landed on the Wine Spectator Top 100—a feat few rosés had achieved up until that point.

While Miraval has some superstar owners, the real legend behind this Côtes de Provence rosé is winemaker Marc Perrin. World-famous from his work with Château de Beaucastel—one of Robert M. Parker Jr.’s all-time favorite Châteauneuf-du-Papes with four 100-point scores—it was Perrin’s golden touch that ensured Château Miraval would shatter the rosé-tinted glass ceiling to become a world-class wine in its own right.  

The critical acclaim hasn’t ceased since that first era-defining vintage, with the Spectator, Wine Advocate, and Decanter all tripping over themselves every year to praise Perrin’s eloquent, ballet slipper-pink elixir. We’re not waiting for the 2019’s scores to be published, which is partly why we’re able to offer such a hotly anticipated new release.

Tasting the 2019 Miraval, we were reminded that this is a special occasion rosé in everything but price. A strikingly serious wine, it’s clear this is a rosé that’s grown specifically for its one intended purpose—a rarity in a world where rosés are often a byproduct of their more lucrative red counterparts.

Few wines are so immediately attractive on sight alone, and the 2019’s beautiful pale salmon-hued core reflects captivating silver-pink streaks straight to the rim. Enthralling aromas of white strawberry, nectarine, white lilies, and Cara Cara orange peel are flawlessly clean, while the medium-bodied entry is both assertive and elegant, with tones of briny mineral, sea spray, and white tea. A long, expansive finish winds its way through every corner of the palate with ethereal grace.

When the Spectator gave top headline billing to co-owner Brad Pitt on its June 2014 cover, “Pitt & Perrin: Superstars in Provence,” many wine industry veterans rolled their eyes—but not us. The oversized glossy cover featured a tanned and casually dressed Pitt sipping rosé with Perrin, but the story was anything but a fluff piece.

The Pitts bought the historic 1,235-acre property on which Château Miraval sits in 2012 and shrewdly brought Perrin on to craft the supple, silky, gulpable rosé for which this exceptionally unique estate has become known. The wine is so good each year it has managed to upstage not only its current owners, but the estate’s previous claims to fame—Pink Floyd recorded “The Wall” in its onsite studio, where Sting, Sade, and The Cranberries have also found inspiration in Miraval’s magic terroir. 

Today, the Perrins are firmly running the show, ensuring the real stars remain the sun-drenched vines.

Planted in protective terraced plots at around 1,150 feet in elevation, surrounded by oaks and garrigue, few rosés benefit from this kind of altitude and the dramatic diurnal temperature swing that comes with it. The soils are rich in clay, chalk, and the limestone that delivers a prodigious mineral vein. Further cleansed by a constant Provençal breeze, this wine’s structure is more chiseled than the jawline of its famous owner.

The storied rosé estates of Provence, the likes of Château d’Esclans and Domaines Ott, will run you $60+ per bottle. The 2019 Miraval—at a fraction of those estate’s top cuvées—is an extraordinary wine that is as delicious as a seasonal rosé as it is a profound delicacy to enjoy year-round.