The Côtes du Rhône wines: the Blanc (White), the Rouge (Red), and the Rosé we’re reviewing here, are without a doubt the most popular, affordable, and approachable in E. Guigal estate’s range.
This wine is made of 60% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, and 10% Syrah from vines averaging 25 years.
Technically, this is a saignée rosé, meaning that the wine drawn off the skins after a brief maceration allowing to obtain the desired color.
The must is then fermented at low temperature to preserve freshness and primary fruit characters.
So how good is this Côtes du Rhone Rosé wine by E. Guigal?
The answer is in the tasting notes:
Beautiful light pink and slightly salmon color looks like it will please most eyes. It looks pale enough to remind of the light acidic style of the Cotes de Provence Rosés. But it’s pink and bright enough to appeal to those who are after a more extroverted color.
Nose is fresh and inviting, full of estery notes of pear and apple, and combined with primary fruit aromas of acidic red berries: blueberry and red currant. It’s quite intense, but all on light airy summery notes. As I said: inviting!
The palate is equally satisfying. Good acidity that provides freshness but it’s not sharp and balanced by a slightly oily texture and a touch of sweetness that underlines the fruit characters.
It feels dry overall in a typical French rosé style, and balanced. Flavors are along the same lines as perceived on the nose: white fruit and little red berries. White peach and strawberry complement the fruit basket in the mouth.
A few fine drying tannins give a little savory touch to the finish, just to get the palate salivating and complement food well potentially.
Overall
A perfectly well-made, well-executed rosé wine situated right in the middle between the pale and dry Provence style and the fuller-bodied richly colored and intensely flavored style found in the New World or Spain for example.
Yet, it lives up to its French origin with a clearly identifiable dry and salmon-colored style. But it’s also got the punch of fruit to make it enjoyable on its own and for those who like super-fruity rosés.
A very enjoyable wine that will satisfy most palates and occasions with its perfectly controlled fruit expression and balance yet with a typically Southern French expression.
Please let me know your thoughts