2015 Lavau Tavel Rosé 750 ml

The Rosé of Kings: The Manly, Dry Pinks of Tavel

Ernest Hemingway was one of the 20th century’s most celebrated man of letters. He was also a highly opinionated (and legendarily thirsty) connoisseur of wine. Fitting then that his favorite style of Rosé, hailing from the Southern Rhône’s Tavel AOC, would so closely resemble his own distinctive prose style: very dry, masculine, elegant in its simplicity and purity.

Across the Rhône River from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Tavel is a tiny AOC and the only one in the Rhône Valley to produce exclusively Rosé. While other appellations save their best vines for reds, in Tavel the highest-quality fruit is put solely in the service of pink wine.

Tavel Rosés are famed for their exceptionally bone-dry character, gorgeous ruddy-pink color and sturdy, broad-shouldered structure — and as that rare pink wine that ages well. Championed by 13th century French monarch Philip IV and Louis XIV, the “Sun King,” as well as Hemingway, Tavel’s pinks have earned their nickname: the “Rosé of Kings.”

While nearby appellations like Gigondas and Vacqueyras might boast better name recognition in the U.S. these days, Tavel is catching up — especially after Vinous singled it out in a recent vintage report as one of the Southern Rhône AOCs capable of producing “stunning value.”

Visit Tavel in the swelter of June and you’ll be grateful for the gentle Mistral breeze against your skin — it’s about the only thing that offers relief from the Mediterranean’s dry heat, allowing grapes to reach phenolic ripeness quickly. Water drains easily through the region’s sandy, stony soils, forcing vines to spider deep, building strong root systems to suck up the land’s nutrients and minerals. The resulting wines reflect the mineral-rich, earthy richness of the terroir and a fabulous depth of flavor due to the maturity of the grapes.

The Lavau family, whose winemaking is now led by brothers Benoît and Frédéric Lavau, knows how to make the most of this terroir and exceptional vintages like 2015. The family has been working with wines since 1895, but under the stewardship of the brothers Lavau, Lavau Tavel Rosé has reached new heights. The mouthwatering, ultra-crisp 2015 Tavel Rosé cries out for sipping on a steamy hot beach or while spread out on a picnic blanket in July.

The 2015 Lavau Tavel Rosé is a classic blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah. Brilliant ruddy-pink to the rim with luscious aromas of watermelon, strawberry, white flowers, and Mediterranean herbs, the attack is at once rich, juicy, and vibrant, buttressed by the sneaky acidity that makes this our #1 Provençal Rosé of 2017.

At $15.99, this is an under-$20 STEAL that you shouldn’t have to think twice about — a radiant pink wine that cuts through humidity with the sharp clarity of a Hemingway short story. Just 100 cases to go around while they last. Shipping included on 6.