After debuting Château du Carrubier’s “Cuvée Ingénue” last year, we assumed the value summit of French rosé had been reached because we felt it upended high-end Provençal labels like Domaines Tempier and Ott. Then, they air-mailed us their 2020 “Cuvée d’Aurore” and we quickly discovered that it pays handsomely to be wrong. Coming in at just $25, this mouthwatering and spectacularly textured Côtes de Provence is among the greatest steals in the hyper-competitive space of French rosé. It has the ammunition to prove it, too: Like Biles and Phelps, this ’20 has been heavily decorated with medals from competitions across Europe.

It’s important to reiterate that our vetting process for all wines is fairly intense, but we judge rosés to an extreme degree since legions of them flood the market each year. So when you see us touting one with this much fervor (let alone exclusively importing it from Carrubier’s cellar door), you know we’ve been deeply moved. On top of the boundless, no-frills allure of Provençal rosé, “Aurore” contains several extra gears with its profusion of minerals, luscious sun-kissed fruit, and vivid energy. It can be savored now, in six weeks with your Thanksgiving meal, or allowed to evolve until its second spring. We recommend all three!

Although Château du Carrubier has been family-owned for just under a half-century, they have already mastered the art of Provençal rosé—and I say this confidently despite having tasted just two vintages. This is no fluke, nor is it beginner’s luck: Carrubier is the real deal and they’re poised to overtake the famous old guards of the region. They own 25 hectares of classic Provençal varieties that are planted just miles from the sea, in the sloping foothills of Massif des Maures. As a result, their vines enjoy both the mildew-preventing Mistral winds and the intense warm sunlight of the Mediterranean. 

What’s more, they ensure that all of their vines are farmed without chemicals and, in a region that is heavily mechanized come harvest, the Carrubier team chooses the strenuous path by meticulously sorting and picking each cluster by hand. For “Cuvée d’Aurore,” their Grenache (90%) and Syrah (10%) grapes are de-stemmed and gently pressed after a transient maceration. Fermentation and six months of lees aging occur in stainless steel vessels before a quick bottling to preserve every ounce of freshness. 

In the glass, Carrubier's 2020 “Cuvée d’Aurore” shimmers with a pale salmon-pink hue that moves out to a silver rim. Served out of an all-purpose stem around 45 degrees, juicy aromas of redcurrant, citrus blossoms, Rainier cherry, sliced white pear, and tangerine peel waft out alongside soft mineral notes and hints of garrigue. The medium-bodied palate delivers enticingly creamy textures of white and red fruits and finishes with a lingering presence of finely crushed stone. This is not a racy, lean, high-acid Côtes de Provence, but instead a ripe and delicious rosé that's an absolutely perfect accompaniment for heartier autumnal meals. Enjoy now and into its second or third spring. Cheers!