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Château Hermitage Saint-Martin, “Enzo Rosé”

Provence, France 2017 (750mL)
$22.00
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Château Hermitage Saint-Martin, “Enzo Rosé”

It was Faulkner who said: “In writing, you must kill all your darlings.” It’s a dramatic way to describe the heartbreak of self-editing, but it’s true—and it applies to wine, too. This is the time of year when all sorts of new-release rosé deliciousness lands on our tasting table. The majority become our darlings, but we can’t offer all of them. Out of the many dozens of 2017 rosés we’ve tasted thus far, today’s wine marks just the third Provençal rosé we’ve chosen for the spotlight.
That’s not to say the others weren’t worthy—they absolutely were, but with this spectacular combination of vintage and place (2017 & Provence), we must select the cream of an already stunning crop! Today’s wine, officially labeled “Grand Cuvée Enzo,” is an ultra-fresh bottle making its sophomore appearance in America, and, with limited quantities and locations, you can expect it to be a tough find after our offer runs dry. Furthermore, the estate is entirely organic and enjoys some incredible terroir that directly results in a stunningly fresh, mineral, tour de force rosé. If you take as much as your refrigerator can fit, you’ll be able to rest easy when friends and family come looking for a wine that will quench their summer thirst.
After purchasing and renaming the estate in 1999, owner-winemaker Enzo Fayard quickly converted his vineyards to organic cultivation. Located within one of Côtes de Provence’s four esteemed crus (La Londe), the estate is just a few minutes’ drive to the Mediterranean coast. Enzo has strict measures in place in order to protect the environment and keep a low production/high quality mindset—something of a rarity in this mass-production territory. Now that rosé is dominating the world market, it’s great to see select Provençal producers preserving quality and low prices. As long as organic rosé from these inimitable terroirs comes at a price this appealing, they’ll always win my heart. 

Grapes for today’s rosé were sourced from 17 of the estate’s 42 total acres. Specifically, from hillsides around the town of Cuers, less than 10 miles from the Mediterranean coast. Soils in these foothills are limestone and sun-hardened clay; the suns shines 265 days per year here! Since the estate is certified organic, herbicides are strictly forbidden and harvest was conducted by hand. The grapes—Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, and a splash of Rolle, or Vermentino (for added aromatics and freshness)—were shuttled back to the winery’s coastal home base in La Londe-les-Maures. After a brief cold skin maceration (to extract flavor and color without triggering fermentation), the grapes were gently pressed and vinification took place in temperature-controlled vats. Though the wine didn’t undergo malolactic fermentation, it is in no way austere—the opposite, actually—because of fine lees aging. 

In the glass, 2017 “Enzo Rosé” shines a salmon-pink with flickers of platinum leading out to a clear rim. Fresh strawberries, peaches and cream, red apple skin, and Rainier cherries jump out on the nose, and then a rush of red and white flowers, orange zest, lemon curd, and an intense crushed stone component immediately follows. The soft fruit takes a more creamy approach on the palate (thanks to aging on its lees) and it finishes with a controlled burst of freshness—it’s not piercing in any shape or form. As with the best examples of Provençal rosés, the fine textures are balanced with supple fruit and all-encompassing rock minerality. I usually add a drinking window here, but this is a wine to be opened the moment it arrives at your door. Serve around 50 degrees in all-purpose stems and enjoy a relaxing day by having a stress-free pairing: With a pristine and textured rosé like this, a creamy, cold shrimp salad will be the perfect match—try serving on a leaf of lettuce for a ‘bite-sized’ approach. Or, just pick up the phone and order a sushi platter. The choice is yours! 
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Country
France
Region
Provence
Sub-Region
FranceCôtes de Provence
Soil
Clay-Limestone
Farming
Certified Organic
Blend
Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, & Rolle (Vermentino)
Alcohol
12.5
TEMP.
50
Glassware
All-Purpose Stem
Drinking
Now
Decanting
None

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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