Perched at the foot of Montagne Sainte-Victoire just east of Aix-en-Provence, Château Maupague resides in the commune of Puyloubier, which is one of seven villages in the appellation of Sainte-Victoire. The magnificent landscape, dominated by the limestone mountain ridges, is visible from Aix where Cezanne painted this inspiring site as it was visible from his home there. Over the years it would stir creativity in the likes of Picasso and Kandinsky as well. As a home to grapes Sainte-Victoire is ideal as well. While the vines are protected from the harsher aspects of the famous and powerful Mistral winds thanks to the nearby Sainte-Baume Mountains, the winds are still able to provide a drying effect that aids in protecting the vines from pests and disease. The predominantly limestone and argillaceous sandstone soils provide ample drainage and force the vines to soak up all the divine terroir that is on offer in the wild landscape. An appellation within the Côtes de Provence, Sainte-Victoire only received its appellation designation in 2005 due to the unique soil and aspect, which provides vast potential for rosé.

Convinced of this terroir’s potential was Gabriel and Jean-Pierre of the historic Sumeire Family, who purchased Château Maupague back in 1991, over a decade before Sainte-Victoire received its designation as an official appellation. The Sumeire family has roots reaching back to at least the thirteenth century and boasts a minimum of seven generations of vigneron/producers as well as wine merchants. This property in Sainte-Victoire has become quite a jewel in their family crown. Maupague translates to, “giving little,” as the soil pushes the vines to struggle and successfully achieve greater complexity as a result. The average age of the sustainably farmed vines is over twenty years. The blend of 70% Grenache, 25% Cinsault and 5% Syrah goes through light maceration on skins following destemming. The gentle touch of the pneumatic press is water-cooled and the grapes and liquid are protected by climate control throughout. The juice is reintroduced to its lees after settling for one full night. The wine undergoes light tangential filtration and electrodialysis to avoid tartrates before it is bottled with minimal sulphur. The result is near perfection for what I seek in rosé.

This rosé exhibits a pale salmon pink core with copper hues on the rim. The nose offers aromas of fresh, underripe strawberries, yellow peach pit, watermelon rind, lemon zest, salted orange peel, rose petal and orange blossom alongside stunning savory notes including herbes de Provence and crushed stones. The medium-bodied palate boasts a beautiful texture and refreshing balance delivered by the ideal acid level, which provides gulp-able perfection. The flavor profile is driven by crushed limestone minerality, savory herbs and a nuanced salted citrus peel and sea mist. This wine is stunning at the moment and should hold at this stage of life for the next eighteen months. A little known fact is that high quality Provence rosé can actually age beautifully; if you were to lose this wine in a cold cellar for five years, you would be surprised at the marvelous savory notes that will develop alongside the balanced textbook fruit and salinity that we all love from the rosés of this region. To enjoy right away, simply take this bottle from the fridge, pour a glass and wait a few minutes for it to warm a few degrees, about 45-50 is ideal; You can also serve this wine at cellar temperature with a main course; watch as the full personality emerges and the fullness of texture evolves the warmer it gets. Although this food-friendly wine can compliment just about anything, try it with Provençal roasted vegetables and traditional aioli. This is a perfect healthy lunch for a warm summer day and is incredibly classic with a wine like this. Enjoy!