I have a rule: the first rosé I open each year must be Provençal and it has to be great. No barely-there quaffer but a genuine benchmark; the sort of complex, soil-driven wine that not only hits every thirst-quenching pleasure note but also reaffirms why Provence produces the world’s best examples of rosé. Château Les Mesclances’ “Faustine” is this year’s thrilling “debut” bottle.
Packed with full Mediterranean textures yet pulsing with seaside energy and brimming over with salty red/pink fruits, this easily lines up with the Bandol big boys. And while store shelves will soon fill with rosé made from fruit picked not even six months ago, this 2020 Côtes de Provence bottling, from a special, rarely encountered sub-zone (more on that below), is entering its “second spring.” This is a time when I believe the best Southern French rosés begin to truly strut their stuff. More than once we’ve made the case here at SommSelect that great rosé can be as nuanced, artisanal, and even complex as the world’s best white wines. Mesclances’ “Faustine” is the latest proof of that assertion. Grab a few bottles at the very least because this promises to elevate every spring and/or summer night for years to come!
Not many people know it, but the Côtes de Provence actually has Burgundy-like village appellations. Only the best are singled out though, and La Londe is one of the small handful who can proudly display their name on labels. Much like its famous rosé neighbors Cassis and Bandol, La Londe lies right on the Mediterranean coast, where near-constant seaside breezes bring tension and structure to the open, warm climate fruit. It’s tiny, with barely twenty producers working there, and perhaps the reason it hasn’t quite taken off yet is that there’s no large-scale producer there to flood supermarket shelves with cheap bottles. But if Château Les Mesclances’ otherworldly rosés are any indication, it deserves the same reverence as the best rosé-producing villages in the world.
Château Les Mesclances sits not even two miles from the Mediterranean. Their 30 hectares of Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, and Cinsault run nearly to the coast, every inch of it organically farmed. It’s currently headed by Arnaud de Villeneuve Bargemon, and the estate’s been in his family since before the French Revolution. Under the guidance of estate manager Alexandre Le Corguillé, Les Mesclances has reached new heights in recent years. Even though their entire property could be classified as Côtes de Provence La Londe, they reserve it only for the vineyard that produces the “Faustine” cuvée, their oldest and highest elevation site responsible for their most profound wine. It bears noting that “Faustine” is imported by Neal Rosenthal, whose eponymous portfolio also includes SommSelect favorites Château Pradeaux and Château Simone. When we saw Neal was bringing in a new rosé, our expectations were sky-high. Upon tasting Château Les Mesclances’ “Faustine,” those expectations were quickly blown out of the water.
Led by Grenache, which sat on its skins for 20 hours, and rounded out by Syrah and Mourvèdre made in the saignée method, “Faustine” matured six months on lees and sports richer textures than many Provençal rosés. To allow the aromas to really unfurl, don’t serve this ice-cold like so many are wont to do with rosé. Intense sea salt and crushed rock minerality lead the nose, backed by peach skin, Ruby Red grapefruit, tart red raspberry, cranberries, Mediterranean herbs, crushed rock, and white pepper. The palate is a textural marvel, rich and fleshy, but with a vibrant and electric throughline of acidity that wicks the palate clean and immediately makes you another sip. Ripe, savory, and salty, “Faustine” is a heady and soil-driven vin de terroir that’s just now starting to spread its wings. It will continue to reward you over the next three years. Get some now to open rosé season with a bang!
