Choosing a rosé wine asks to know the subtleties. To guide you in your selections, you must above all understand what are the different grape varieties of the Côtes de Provence rosé. We will flash you on this subject.
What is the grape variety of a wine?
Before taking an interest in the various grape varieties of the Côtes de Provence rosé, let us stop on the definition of a grape. Each wine has aromas and a dress that are their own. This comes from the variety of the cultivated vine to make the wine. These are the varieties of vines that we call grape varieties.
Thus, each vine plant has its own characteristics:
- Foliage ;
- The shape of the clusters and the size of the grains;
- The content of sugar, acidity and aromas of grapes.
All these elements form a particular vine, which gives birth to a unique grape. In France, we have many grape varieties, often classified by geographic areas.
Thus, a wine can be developed from a single grape variety (monoceepage), or several grape varieties.
What are the grape varieties of the Côtes de Provence?
Let's take a quick tour of Provence, this sunny region which gives rosé, red and white wines very appreciated.
Red and rosé grape varieties
The grape varieties of Provence allowing to develop red and rosé wines are the most present in the region, and make it possible to obtain wines of character with various notes.
- Grenache: found on dry floors, Grenache is one of the most cultivated grape varieties in the world. Coming from Spain, he adapts to stony terrains, and fear neither the wind nor the drought. It gives generous and very structured wines, with a bouquet of red fruits with spicy aromas.
- Syrah: grape variety from Greece, Syrah offers rosés and reds with a very colorful dress.
- Le Mourvèdre: also from Spain, Mourvèdre produces robust wines with black fruit scents, and highly alcoholic. We find, after aging, spicy notes.
- The Cabernet-Sauvignon: the most famous grape in the world, the Cabernet-Sauvignon gives tannic and powerful wines, which age very well. Depending on the vintages and vintages, the wine can then take complex aromas of cedar, spices and blackcurrant.
- The Carignan: very fertile grape variety, the Carignan offers a powerful and highly alcoholic wine. It is often associated with other grape varieties, such as Grenache, to obtain a wine with aromas of red fruits;
- Cinsault: often used in assembly, the Cinsault produces fine wines in pale colors, and fruity aromas.
- Tibouren: recognizable by its pale salmon color and aromas of white flesh, delicate wine from a Tibouren grape is almost always vinified in rosé.
White Provence grape varieties
Much less widespread, there are four white grape varieties.
- Rolle: from the southern territories, the rolle offers a wine with the aromas of citrus, exotic fruits and pear. Balanced, fat and fine, her wine has a pretty pale yellow dress with green reflections. It is commonly known in Italy under the name of “Vermentino”
- The white UGNI: the best known grape, it is often offered in assembly, to form white and fine white wines from Provence.
- La Clairette: recognizable by its white and rosé grapes, the Clairette gives tangy, flexible and bouquetted wines, with a dress with a frank yellow.
- The Sémillon: This grape variety sensitive to the terroir offers greasy white wines, to the aromas of white flowers.
The different grape varieties to make a rosé ribs
As a rule, the Côtes de Provence rosés come from the same grape varieties as red wines. The difference in color simply comes from a more or less long contact between the skin and the grape juice. Then, the grape varieties can be used alone, or in assembly. However, from one country to another, the grape chosen will be different.
Indeed, pink grape varieties depend a lot on the earth on which they are cultivated, and therefore on the country. While a Spanish rosé will come from a Tempranillo or Garnacha grape, a rosé from Italy will opt for a Sangiovese, just as France will make its rosés with a Cabernet.
Note that the coast of Provence rosé is characterized by aromas typical of grapefruit, strawberry, raspberry, reddish, almond, lime, cut and garrigue.
Would you like to explore the grape varieties of the Côtes de Provence Rosé? The Chateau de Bern invites you to discover the castles and vineyards of a region where the excellence of wines is at its peak.
