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Chateau Tavel
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ABOUT
About Us
Tavel rose, often described as the most carnal of roses, sadly is greatly underrepresented here in the U.S. The deep, rich color of Chateau Tavel alone could put it in the trending mega market for "orange" wines, but actually it is a result of the amazing blend (and cold maceration) of five Rhone varietals. The blend Chateau Tavel in Grenache 25%, Syrah 25%, Cinsault 25%, Bourboulenc 15%, Mourverdre 10%, all grown from mature vines in the appellation. The grapes are carefully selected and harvested by hand. The pressing is carried out after a maceration time from 12 to 28 hours (during which the free-run juices are drained off into a vat). The temperature during the fermentation process is kept steady at 16°C. The free-run juices contribute aromas, fruit, and acidity and the press juices provide richness, structure, and color. Alcohol by volume is 13.5%. The wine is aged two years in the cellar.
The wine is well balanced and characterized by an attractive and pleasant, pink-cherry color with Ruby tints. It has an intense nose marked by raspberry, red and black current aromas. This wineis best served at 50-53°F (not icy cold) and pairs well with Asian and Mediterranean cuisine. It is a more serious food wine than the plethora of light pink "patio pounders" and it can benefit from aging.
The hugely popular category of rose is ready for a serious table wine that can be enjoyed year-round. Château Tavelle is "more than a rose," it is that wine.
We can offer this wine as a private label, yours or ours.
A tidy tract of 2,300 acres on the west bank of the Rhone. Marginally higher and somewhat drier than Chatecuneuf-du-Pope (CDP) to the east, Tavel would hove yielded red wines lighter than CDP. Consequently, rosés offered a promising niche. ‘There are three terroirs in Tavel: each of which has distinct ottributes of soil, stone and mineral deposits, each of which contributes to the richness of the Tavel cuvées (blends).
Tavel winemakers choose from among nine grape varieties (cépages) for blending vintages, with Grenache the predominant grape (up to 60%), Tovel rosés do not require guzzling before the summer fades: their structure allows for a year or two of cellaring, their freshness ever present. Enriched with smooth tannins and lingering spiciness, the rosés of Tavel are o gastronemic delight. Marry Tovel with grilled fish and chicken dishes, Asian cuisines, ratatouille, a goot cheese salad, ond Provencal cuisine. ‘There's more to Tavel than alte afternoon insouciant buzz Iisa rosé enjoyed "a table”in the soft darkness of limpid nights. flooding your palate with the immaculate flavors of the sun-drenched terroir of Tavel.
Richness Bestowed by Three Distinct Terroirs Terroirs of Tavel:
Olivet (1), Vallongue (2), Vestiges (3) Tavel.
REVIEWS
"Marilyn Monroe is a rosé incarnate, a Tavel rosé mind you, the most carnal of all rosés. What they share, Marilyn and Tavel, is an archetypal beauty evoking the colour of love."
"Tavel is luxurious and luminous, yet not precious. Approachable and affordable, it can take awhile to work its way into your consciousness.
Once it does, Tavel is a rose of intimacy, by which I mean it is filled with the detail of history, of elegant aromas and of a smooth richness that lingers in your mouth. And in your memory."
CONTACT
Tavel Rosé: A Voluptuous Color
The voluptuous color of Tavel is born from a centuries-long tradition, a vinification process unique to the appellation.
The so-called cold maceration is the softening of grapes by soaking. The soaking endures from 12 to 48 hours, whereby the color, flavor and tannins are transferred from the grape skins to the wine juice. The weight of the skins and the must release the ‘free-run juices’ that are drained off into a vat.
Then, the juices are separated from the skins by a light pressing of the grapes. The free-run juices contribute aromas, fruit, and acidity, with the pressed juices providing richness, structure and color.
A temperature-controlled alcoholic fermentation lasts about 20 days in cement cuves, followed by the wine being aged in enamel-lined, stainless-steel cuves for 18 to 20 months.
The result: a rosé more powerful, more tannic and darker than other rosés. The trend today is to produce blends that are a lighter shade of pale.
Some producers tout the absence of color in a rosé as modern-day hip sophistication. They go further. Paleness connotes quality, so they say. Don’t be taken in. These blends are mere whispers compared to the clean whistle of a Tavel rosé.
For additional information, purchase, or item inquiries
Contact Us
jeroncig@chateau-tavel.com
305-778-9562
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