2022 Domaine des Cinq Chemins Grolleau Gris Loire Valley 750 ml

Some grapes can do it all.

But the Loire Valley’s Grolleau was born to be zesty, world-class rosé.

Light, delicate, and bright, this under-the-radar variety’s ephemeral elegance and electricity makes it an absolute stunner when turned into rosé. That’s why, when we tasted the 2022 Cinq Chemins Rosé on our last trip to France, we jumped at the chance to import it ourselves for Wine Access members. 

If this is the first time you’ve ever heard of the grape, you won’t find a better introduction. With flavors of bright apricot, white pepper, and just the barest hint of a tropical edge, it’s juicy and delicious—a bottle that will please fans of pink wines from Provence and Burgundy, and one that will be on our tables and porches all summer.

Domaine des Cinq Chemins is run by Jerome Choblet—one of the most important winemakers in the western Loire. He’s best known for the Domaine des Herbauges, a grand estate in Muscadet, but Cinq Chemins is his pet project, small and focused on quality above all. The domaine originally dates back to 1864, but it’s only since 2018 that Choblet has run it—and his tenure has been marked by a serious upturn in quality. His wines are some of the best values in the region, as market pricing hasn’t come close to catching up.

For the Grolleau rosé, he taps sustainably grown vines planted on the schistous soils that the grapes favor—vines that average well over two decades in age. Those vines are part of a diverse ecosystem that Choblet manages to encourage soil and vine health—apple trees, hedges, and forests all play key roles—and that creates a complex finished wine.