Food & Wine contributor Brian Freedman gave us the life coaching we needed to hear: quarantine cannot stop us from drinking rosé all summer. As part of this story, he tasted more than 120 different offerings from around the world and included Château Minuty 281 2019 and Guigal Tavel Rosé 2019 among his favorites.
In addition to suggesting readers pick up the full range of rosés from Minuty, he says the 281 offers “remarkable concentration, with cantaloupes, white peaches, seashore brininess, and almond blossom: This smells like Provence in the summertime. Yellow nectarines, white peaches, and citrus blossoms follow through on the palate to a wonderfully structured finish.”
Stepping outside of Provence, he also offers high praise for Guigal’s beautiful southern Rhone rosé, Tavel. “Compressed watermelons, strawberry conserve, and flowers are carried along by a classically tannic structure that promises another several years of aging potential. Pink peppercorns ring through the generous finish that fans out on the palate and is layered with black cherries.”
Read the full round up HERE.
Related Wines
Château Minuty
281 Rosé 2019
Côtes de Provence
281 refers to the Pantone number for this royal blue color that elegantly cascades in a glaze down the side of the bottle. It evokes the sky and the sea of Minuty's French Riviera home, in particular the deep blue that appears everywhere after the strong afternoon wind. 100% estate from a single old plot of Grenache whose clone is exclusive to Château Minuty, it is the ultimate reflection of their special seaside vineyard and Provence.
E. Guigal
E. Guigal Tavel 2019
Tavel
The Guigal family has been working for decades in Tavel, and today specifically works with 6 growers to produce the traditional style of rosé the region is known for deep fruit, full of spice you find in the reds of the area, structured, and substantial enough to age. Thank goodness this appellation across the river from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 100% dedicated to rosé, still produces wines of this full-bodied style!
Related Producers
E. Guigal
Rhône Valley, France
The more you learn about the Guigal family, the more astounding becomes their story. Their wines are the benchmarks for every Rhone appellation, and over the last thirty years they have become arguably the most lauded producer in the world. Year after year the Guigal family produces wines of exceptional quality that in all classes offer exceptional value.
Château Minuty
Côtes de Provence
Château Minuty is the global leader in Côtes de Provence rosé, and beyond that it can be argued is the most important estate in the history of Provence rosé. The Saint-Tropez based, family owned estate has been, since its founding, one of the quality leaders for the region. Minuty then became one of the most visible producers in the second half of the 20th century, a result of quality production and commercial foresight when no one in the region could imagine the global phenomenon Provence rosé would become. And then in the last two decades, Minuty defined the vision for and led the unbelievable growth in Provence rosé around the globe.
