2018 Chateau Leoube Cotes de Provence Rose 750 ml

The New Hit from the Most Famous Name in Rosé

From the oceanfront patios of the Hamptons to the chaise longue-dotted beaches of Nice, one name is synonymous with high-end rosé: Domaines Ott. For years, it’s been the benchmark in the world of French rosé, the salmon-pink equivalent to the famous names of Burgundy and Bordeaux. But at more than $50 each, it has never been the kind of bottle that casual drinkers could justify popping open at their suburban pool on a weeknight.

Until now, that is. Because through a combination of luck, tenacity, and entreaties to Bacchus himself—we pulled out all the stops for this one!—we are able to offer the 2018 Château Léoube Côtes de Provence Rosé, crafted by Romain Ott himself, for $25 a bottle.

This Decanter-rated 93-point rosé is sourced from the château’s vines whose closeness to the sea comes through in every sip: Cool nights, salty breezes, and clay and schist soils lend it a spine of minerality that frames the classic aromas of the region—Hawthorne, lilac, garrigue, and violets are fleshed out with melon and strawberries, all of it as fresh and evocative as an evening in Southern France. This bottle is the next best thing to hopping a flight to the Côte d’Azur itself.

It’s what Romain Ott’s fans around the world have come to expect. To achieve this exalted level of rosé, the Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, and Mourvedre were all organically grown, hand-harvested, and direct-pressed, the better to ensure that each and every berry was in pristine condition throughout the process. The juice was then fermented in stainless steel in order to allow the true beauty of the land itself to shine through, without the distraction of oak or other winemaking tricks. This is pure Provence, nothing less.

That pedigree—the sea lapping against the coast nearby, the lavender and herbs perfuming the air down every side street in villages throughout the storied region—comes through in the bottle with ringing clarity. Wine Enthusiast called the 2018 “deliciously balanced,” while Decanter praised this rosé’s “invigorating and vibrant citrus.”  

Wines with 93-point scores, much less ones from producers with names as revered as Romain Ott’s, typically cost two or three times as much. But here it is: A Decanter and Wine Enthusiast winner from one of France’s top producers for less than $30. Whether it’s opened on a seagrass-ringed porch at the eastern tip of Long Island, in a cafe in the South of France and sipped alongside a classic salade niçoise, or by a smoking grill in the American suburbs, the 2018 Château Léoube is destined to be the wine of the year for those in the know.

Just don’t tell anyone how much you paid. They probably wouldn’t believe you anyway.