Mas de Valériole, Rosé Vé, IGP Méditerranée, Provence, France

The Mas de Valériole estate was founded in 1427 by doctor, François de Valeriole in the heart of the Camargue national park but since the 1950's has been home to the Michel family. Brothers Jean-Paul & Patrick handle the farming with JP on the grain (rice, wheat and sunflowers) and Patrick in the vines where they've been growing organically since 2006. Patrick was joined by his son, Maxime in 2015 and together they are responsible for 22 hectares of vineyards.

Vé is a southern French (meridionale) exclamation and this classic Provencal Rosé definitely demands a Vé! It's a blend of Merlot and Caladoc picked early in the morning to retain freshness and aromatics, direct pressed before fermentation and aged in concrete before blended and bottled without filtration. The result is a beautiful pale pink colour with a whisp of haze. Sweet strawberries on the nose accompanied by white flowers and a little citrus followed by apple, pomelo and lychee on the palate with a salty tickle. Enjoy with a crunchy salad with olives and humous or grilled fish or equally treacherous on a hot day on its own.

Producer - Mas de Valériole
Country - France
Region - Provence
Sub-Region - Arles
Variety / Blend - Merlot, Caladoc
Wine Style - Pink Wine
Farming - Organic
Vegetarian, Vegan