2011 Tavel Rose Reine des Bois

The 2011 La Reine des Bois Tavel Rose is one of the two finest roses I have ever tasted ( the other being the Prieure de Montezargues made by the owners of Chateau La Nerthe and also a Tavel). Most people won’t spend $35 a bottle for rose, but if you want a prodigious example of how remarkable rose can be, this or the other Tavel are well worth checking out. A blend of 60% Grenache, 15% Clairette, 10% Syrah and the rest Cinsault and Bourboulenc, this wine possesses a tremendous nose of framboise and strawberry jam along with spring flowers, crushed rock and citrus. It is elegant but full-bodied, quite dry, and just builds incrementally in the mouth. It is an amazing rose. Year in and year out, Christophe Delorme continues to turn out one of the top dozen or so Chateauneuf du Papes from this winery located in the village of Tavel. This is the quintessential hybrid style of Chateauneuf du Pape, incorporating both the best of traditional techniques with some modern influences, including the use of small barrels, emphasis on biodynamic viticultural techniques, low sulfur, and pure, exceptionally ripe fruit from their vineyards. As for the other wines from Christophe Delorme and his brother Fabrice (Christophe runs the vineyards and winemaking operation and Fabrice takes care of the books), they are still the reference point for how profound Lirac can be. This has become an increasingly popular destination for producers from Chateauneuf du Pape, as the soils are similar and the appellation is basically next door to Chateauneuf. Importer: Kysela Pere et Fils, Winchester, VA; tel. (540) 722-9228