This weekend, spend some time vicariously travelling to the sun-drenched French Riviera by sharing this charming Provençal rosé with your friends and family. It’s still a little chilly for patio imbibing, so throw a blanket down on your living room floor for an impromptu picnic and don’t forget your hat and sunglasses! Make sure to stock up on Carte Noire for your summer wine drinking pleasure. Serve well chilled.
Tasting Notes: You’ll find beguiling aromas of strawberry, tangerine and wild Provençal herbs on the nose. This Grenache-based rosé is refreshingly lively on the palate with zippy citrus and ripe berry flavours. This medium-bodied, dry wine has a very long, persistent finish that is infused with floral notes, exotic spice and wild herbs. This is a fantastic example of Provençal rosé.
Enjoy With: Mediterranean inspired dishes, picnic foods, grilled chicken, grilled fish, pizza or summer salads.
Style: Medium-bodied, dry rosé.
Terroir/Region: Situated along southern France’s Riviera, the Saint-Tropez peninsula is comprised of poor granite and gneiss soil that is home to a patchwork of vineyards interspersed with scrub pine and wild herbs. Grenache, which makes up 90% of this wine, is the dominant grape in the region and benefits from abundant sunshine and relatively cool nights. A constant cooling breeze helps to keep vines healthy and happy.
Producer: Almost 90% of the wine produced in Provence is rosé. Historically, this wine was sold and consumed locally to a small, but appreciative audience. In 1964, a group of independent winegrowers from the Saint-Tropez region got together, formed a cooperative and began to make Carte Noire Rosé for export. Today, the cooperative exports its wine to over 50 different countries around the world.
Availability: Les Maîtres Vignerons de la Presqu'île de Saint-Tropez Carte Noire Rosé 2016 will be available through Vintages officially on Saturday but check stores now as some locations have released the wine early.
Price: $18.95
LCBO#: 319384
Size: 750 mL
Alcoholic Content: 13.5% alc./vol.
