2017 Chateau Miraval Rosé Côtes de Provence 750 ml

Only a few rosés have ever landed on the Wine Spectator Top 100. One of them was Chateau Miraval’s stunning 2012 debut vintage. Partner and winemaker Marc Perrin is world-famous from his work with Château de Beaucastel, but when the Spectator put Marc on the cover in June 2014, top billing in the “Pitt & Perrin: Superstars in Provence” headline went to co-owner Brad Pitt. But even that star power is overshadowed by the mounds of praise for the 2017 Miraval Rosé. Parker’s longtime Rhône critic Jeb Dunnuck called it “terrific,” adding “I suspect the finest vintage to date for this cuvée.” Wine Enthusiast called it a “rich, full wine” with “great sophistication.” Whether it’s Époisses, oysters, lobster or sea bass on your plate, this is the rosé that belongs in your glass.

When the June 2014 issue of Wine Spectator hit newsstands, many wine industry veterans rolled their eyes—not us. The oversized glossy cover featured a tanned and casually dressed Brad Pitt sipping rosé with Marc Perrin of Château de Beaucastel fame, which Robert Parker has made clear is one of his all-time favorite Châteauneuf-du-Papes with four 100-point scores. The headline read “Pitt & Perrin: Superstars in Provence,” but the story was anything but a fluff piece. 

The Pitts bought the historic land on which Château Miraval sits in 2012, and their partner Perrin’s golden touch ensured a stunning debut vintage of Miraval Rosé. The 90-point elixir Perrin crafted landed a coveted spot on the Wine Spectator Top 100 List in 2013. Each year since, Wine Spectator and Parker’s Wine Advocate have tripped over themselves to praise Perrin’s supple, silky, gulpable rosé off this exceptionally unique estate.

“Château Miraval is its own valley, with exposures in all directions," Perrin told Wine Spectator. “There are few estates in the world that have their own valley. A winemaker could never own this, unless it was in the family for something like 20 generations.”

Despite what you’ve read in the tabloids, the Pitts have not sold the sprawling estate and the Perrins are firmly running the show. The Hollywood heavyweights may not even be the most historically interesting owners, with one in the ‘70s converting a water tower into a recording studio where Pink Floyd recorded songs for “The Wall,” Roman-era aqueducts, and a man-made lake all speaking to the property’s rich history. But the real stars are the sun-drenched vines planted in protective terraced plots at around 1,150 feet in elevation, surrounded by oaks and garrigue, and cleansed by a constant Provençal breeze. The soils are rich in clay, chalk, and most critically, limestone, which delivers a prodigious mineral vein. 

The 2017 growing season produced an extremely small crop of exceptional quality juice, hence prices are on average $1-$2 more per bottle for Provence’s stalwart producers. And the top bottlings from the likes of Château d’Esclans and Domaines Ott will run you $60+ per bottle.