2019 Capitelles des Fermes Rose Les Muriers Pays D'Oc 750 ml

The 2019 Capitelles des Fermes Les Muriers rosé is warm-weather wine at its most mouthwatering—and affordable. In this shimmering, salmon-pink 2019, acclaimed Burgundy winemaker Kevin Tessieux eked out a stunningly vibrant rosé from the old vines of the Languedoc’s Aude Valley that zings with citrus acidity, marrying ripe berry fruit with floral delicacy and limestone minerality. 

The capitelles, or dry-stone huts, are an indelible feature of the landscape in Southwest France, humble structures that dot the rolling green hills and fields of Languedoc and beyond. A physical link with the past, these cool, dark stone constructions made without mortar were used by farmers and grape growers as shelter from passing rainstorms or the blazing heat.

The now ancient capitelles have something in common with the old vines winemaking veteran Kevin Tessieux employs to craft this succulent rosé: cultivated by an earlier generation, they continue to shape the identity of this region today. Drawing on his experience at Collovray & Terrier, which operates Burgundy stalwart Domaine Des Deux Roches, he selected limestone vineyards sitting at up to 1,640 feet in elevation on the slopes of the upper Aude Valley, facing the Pyrenees. This area sees both moderate Mediterranean heat (and sunshine 300 days a year), accelerating ripening, as well as cool mountain breezes that combine with altitude to infuse this wine with bite and freshness. Tessieux preserves all the wine's fragrant fruit character and mineral essence by fermenting in stainless steel.

Showing limestone minerality and windblown mountain vibrancy, this is the essence of Languedoc rosé, for just $18.