Commanderie de la Bargemone 2007 Coteaux d’Aix en Provence Rose, about $13
We’ve been hearing for years that rose wines are finally getting the attention they deserve, but now the unheard of has happened: The French are actually drinking more pink wines than white these days. Why? Who knows, but if there was a winery making roses like Commanderie de la Bargemone in my neighborhood, I might give up whites too. It’s from Coteaux d’Aix en Provence, which is a fancy way to say the hills around Aix (pronounced simply “x”). Four-fifths of the region’s production is rose—mostly for tourists day-tripping from Marseilles and such—but not this stuff. A blend of the local grenache and cinsault with a splash of syrah, it’s bright and juicy, with crisp red cherry and watermelon flavor. It’s perfect picnic drinking with ham sandwiches and tomato salads.
Imported by Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton, Va.
Tara Q. Thomas,
