2018 Chateau Sainte Roseline Le Cloitre Cotes de Provence 750 ml

A Cru Rosé that Defies the Provençal Norm

Cultivated in millennium-old Provençal terroir, the 2018 Château Sainte Roseline Le Cloître is a fantastic value rosé, delivering vibrant red berry aromas and dazzling fruit purity and freshness for just $20.

The estate is one of just 18 in the region to have earned cru classé status; the pedigree of these clay-limestone vineyards, replenished by natural springs, was recognized as far back as Pope Jean XXII, but you don’t need a history degree to appreciate the uncomplicated pleasures of this quaffable, mouthwatering rosé. Lock in a case today and happy hour will be a breeze all summer.

On entering the Chapelle Sainte-Rosaline, it takes a moment for the eyes to adjust from the blindingly bright Provençal sun outside to the cool, dark interior of the Romanesque church. Beneath famed works by Chagall and Giacometti lies the preserved, 690-year-old form of Roseline de Villeneuve, a local hero and saint who brought about miracles and aided the poor.  A sense of mystery, of secrets sealed in time, and devotion to the region pervades this ancient site—a chapter of “The Da Vinci Code” might have occurred within these crumbling stone walls.

Thankfully, the vineyards surrounding the church are far more forthcoming than its cold stone interior: The Cinsault, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Mourvèdre grapes grown here by the Teillaud family are terrifically expressive, offering delicate raspberry and melon aromas echoed on the lush palate, and tempered clean, bright freshness.

About a decade after Bernard Teillaud bought the estate (which includes the chapel) in 1995, his daughter Aurélie took over operations. She recently debuted the Le Cloitre cuvée focused on juicy, primary fruit and named for the cloister of the chapel, which provided sanctuary for injured GIs during World War II, when clever monks used the cloisters’ stone walls to hide soldiers from Nazi invaders.

Aurelie has also maintained Sainte Roseline’s status as one of the leading cru classé wineries in Provence even as the rosé market surged, flooding the market with competitors.

While other producers in Provence are over-cropping just to keep up with demand, Aurelie introduced increased planting density and green harvesting to lower yields and force the vines to produce more flavorful fruit, as well as leaf stripping to maximize sunlight, leading to greater flavor concentration in the berries—displaying their extreme devotion to quality over quantity.

For just $20, get the refreshing, zippy drinkability that warm summer nights demand now, before anyone else gets a shot.