Château du Rouët’s vineyards thrive on the slopes of the Esterel mountain, not far from Antibes and Cannes. Although the first vines were planted at Rouët in the 18th Century, it was only after a forest fire in 1927 that the current vineyards were laid out. They were planted in strips, approximately 1 kilometer in length, to act as firebreaks. Prior to the French Revolution, Rouët was owned by the Marquis de Villeneuve, who supplied Louis XVI's court with his wines. Since the revolution, the property has been in the same family.

The Cuvée Reservée Rosé is both very well priced and well crafted. For this vintage, only 100,000 bottles were produced at merely 49 Hl per hectare. A blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah, its grapes were hand-harvested last September. Then, the wine underwent a light maceration and a first bleeding that allowed the grape skins to run their color into the temperature-controlled tanks. Fermentation lasted several weeks.

This quenchingly dry, mineral-drenched wine shows off the uncanny ability of rosés from this region to be both slurpable and serious. It has a lovely salmon-colored body and a pretty raspberry and cassis nose. It is elegant, with a rich volume and great length… more than simply an aperitif or "summer quaffer"; this formidably rich rosé pairs wonderfully with herb-rich provencal cuisine and a wide range of meat, poultry and fish dishes.

—Donald