From: Cotes de Provence, France
Varietals: 22% Grenache, 21% Syrah, 20% Cinsaut, 15% Carignan, 8% Rolle, 7% Mourvedre, 7% Clairette

Taste & Critical Acclaim: A delicately spicy grapefruit nose is complemented by white peach, fennel, lychee, and slate on the palate. It is so clean and refreshing, and yes, it's dry and perfect for any evening on the patio, by the beach, on a boat, or for backyard get-togethers on the weekends.

"A mix of Grenache Noir, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Mourvèdre, Clairette, and Vermentino, all sourced from vines planted on clay-limestone and stony soils, the 2022 Cotes de Provence Rose Corail displays a lively, very fresh bouquet with aromas of peach, red berries, lemon and spring floral. Tense and perfectly balanced with racy acids and a moderately weighted structure, it’s fresh, juicy, and supple, with gorgeous notes of grapefruit and red berries on the finish. I have a weakness for this small estate in Roquefort La Bédule." –Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 92 points

Pairing: Provençal fare, of course! Some ideas for pairing include dishes that incorporate or are focused around ingredients like anchovies, prawns/shrimp (check out the recipe below), fish (seabass, cod), carpaccio, couscous and bulghur salads, crab (Dungeness and Snow Crab specifically), crudites with aioli, steamed dim sum, herbs - fresh rather than dry, especially basil, mint, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, fennel, and fresh goat milk cheese. Specific dishes include Pissaladière (made traditionally with onions rather than tomatoes), plateau de fruits de mer (raw shellfish platter), salade niçoise, a Grand Aioli, and bouillabaisse.

Shrimp Dumplings With Saffron Shallot Sauce Recipe from Shamim Popal
Adapted by Korsha Wilson, published July 25, 2024

About. Raimond de Villeneuve's impressively beautiful, biodynamic vineyard is situated in an amphitheater, thus having a very special microclimate. Chateau de Roquefort is at an altitude of 1000 feet, allowing later harvesting, which results in more freshness and greater phenolic maturity and, therefore, more complexity than is usual in Provençal wines.

The 25 hectares of vineyards are located on the edge of the Bandol appellation, just over the ridge. Mourvedre does not ripen here as it does in the heart of Bandol (it is a difficult grape to ripen), so it is not the focus. One-third of the vines are over 40 years old, with the rest ranging between 15 and 40. De Villeneuve is well-educated, well-traveled, and with previous experience in the trade working for Mommessin in Burgundy. This experience shows in the quality of the wines and the refined beauty of the package.

He came back to his old family property in 1995 and began making and bottling wines under the Chateau name; previously, the wines were sold in bulk. Raimond is a very open-minded winemaker and taster, always striving for quality and willing to honestly assess his wines. He is also always experimenting; he has even planted some Cabernet Franc.

Michel Bettane has recognized his talent, calling him one of the finest winemakers in Provence: "incontestably, one of the great hopes of the Cotes de Provence...the wines perfectly combine ample and intense fruit with a rich and silky body. The wines of Roquefort possess a hedonistic character that will make you immediately rejoice.”

Technical information on this wine.
Terroir and Yield: Clay-limestone scree soil, pebbly. Northwest, West exposure. Altitude 380 m, ample yield of 53hl/ha!
Grape variety: Grenache Noir, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Mourvèdre, Clairette, Vermentino
Harvest and Vinification: Harvest started on September 6th going thought October 2nd. The season has been very hot and dry. This wine was produced through direct pressing, destemmed. Thanks our altitude and northen exposure we keep a nice freshness in the wine. Cold clarification. Gravitational work in the cellar as often as possible.
Maturation and Production: Inox and cement vats. Production of 570 hl, around 76,000 bottles. Magnum will also be available.