2017 Azur Rose 750 ml

Exclusive Napa Rosé, First Growth Pedigree

How often do you find a Napa rosé made with First Growth pedigree? Or one that’s impossible to obtain outside of the winery? Until now, the only way to enjoy this mouthwatering Azur Rosé from superstar winemaker Julien Fayard was by finding it on Napa Valley restaurant wine lists such as The French Laundry, Meadowood, Auberge du Soleil, Morimoto, Bouchon, REDD and Mustards, or from the winery. After a career that included stints at Lafite Rothschild, Quintessa, Château Smith Haut Lafitte, and work alongside Philippe Melka, Fayard started Azur, which today produces rosés that are among California’s most coveted by locals and those in the know. Glimmering salmon-pink in hue, high-toned and infused with notes of alpine strawberries and elegant soft fred fruits, this is Provence by way of Napa from one of the valley’s greatest talents. A Wine Access exclusive — just $29.99 per bottle.  

A native of Provence, rosé-making is in Fayard’s blood — his family operates one of just 18 cru classé estates in the Côtes de Provence. Born in Saint-Étienne, his family has for generations run the Château Sainte Marguerite, a cru classé-ranked estate that produces some of Provence’s most elegant and delicately aromatic rosé.

Destined for a life in the vineyards, Fayard completed his masters degree in enology and was snapped up by Pauillac First Growth Château Lafite Rothschild. He also did stints at leading Graves estate Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, and across the pond at Quintessa, before returning to Sainte Marguerite. In 2006, he and his wife Elan made the move for good to Napa Valley, arriving with little more than the clothes on their backs, four large boxes from France, and faith in the promise of Napa’s sun-drenched terroir.

Hired by Philippe Melka, Fayard assumed the role of managing director at Atelier Melka. Over the next seven years, working side by side with Philippe, the Provence native would help shape the world-class Cabernet Sauvignons of Dalla Valle, Métisse, Lail, and Gemstone. Today, he is firmly established as one of the valley’s top talents, a Wine Access favorite whose Cabernets Sauvignons for Purlieu have sold out our allocations and garnered rave reviews from the critics.

In Fayard’s work, the lessons of Lafite still rule: attention to detail and restraint in the cellar.
Azur is rare for its laser focus on rosé, which Fayard has called the most technically difficult wine to make, due to the short time between harvest and release. The fruit drawn from the high-altitude, iron-rich Sierra Foothills is grown specifically for use as rosé and Fayard follows the méthode Provençale in winemaking, employing direct pressing in the time-honored technique of his homeland. The result is pink wines of tremendous finesse and elegance, featuring bright but not overpowering acidity — he has claimed that the wine should “dance in the mouth, not jump in the mouth.”

This is a rare top-shelf rosé only available in Napa made by a perennial Wine Access favorite, who was trained at some of France’s most esteed chateaux. Summer’s nearly here. Don’t be caught poolside without a healthy stash of this brilliant Azur rosé to pour for friends and family — and don’t forget to tell them that unless they ordered from Wine Access, they very likely can’t get any themselves.

Jonathan Cristaldi

Editor-in-Chief, Wine Access