It’s also worth noting that Domaine de Saint-Ser isn’t a mass-market ‘brand’ to be found on every store shelf but a perfectly situated, relatively small property in the Sainte-Victoire sub-zone of the Côtes de Provence AOC. Named for the Montagne Saint-Victoire, one of the biggest of the jagged limestone ridges that loom large on the Provençal landscape, this is a highly rosé-focused region (according to one source, about 80% of the region’s wine is pink) with an especially high limestone concentration in its soils. Saint-Ser farms 33 hectares of vineyards in the village of Puyloubier, which is widely recognized as the premier wine-growing town in the zone: vineyards scale the lower slopes of the Montagne Saint-Victoire and enjoy intensely luminous full-south exposures—vistas that once inspired artists like Cézanne. The poor soils and drying mistral winds of the zone deliver optimal ripeness but enable the grapes to preserve their refreshing acidity as well, something that is dramatically illustrated in Saint-Ser’s 2017: The tension of this wine, combined with its profound minerality and fruity depth, is what really sets it apart. It is simultaneously powerful and energetic, which is perhaps the greatest quality a wine can have, regardless of color.

Saint-Ser began implementing biodynamic farming practices in 2013, and there’s a directness and purity to all its wines—as well as serious substance. This 2017 Rosé, a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah, speaks to all it component parts as you smell and taste the wine: In the glass, it’s a classic salmon-pink with coppery reflections, with a deep and evocative nose of wild strawberry, blood orange, melon, rose petals, lavender, and limestone chalk. As I noted repeatedly above, the triumph here is the combination of richness and precision: It’s a powerful rosé but also lively and refreshing, with enough backbone to merit holding onto a stash for drinking sometime down the line. There’s no decanting necessary here: Simply pull the cork 15 minutes before serving at 45-50 degrees in all-purpose white wine stems. It is, like all good Provençal rosé, one of the great food-pairing chameleons of the wine world. Given the season right at this moment, however, my mind goes to a Provençal tomato tart. Regardless of when you choose to enjoy this wine, however, rest assured you’ll enjoy it a lot. Cheers!