An alluringly pale pink, rosé from Château Miraval's former winemaker, Tom Bove.

At Château Bellini, Bove continues to outdo himself by harnessing the full potential of this estate's 35 hectares of stony, chalk and clay terraces in the Coteaux-Varois-en-Provence - an appellation that comprises both Côtes-de-Provence and Aix-en-Provence. Here, vineyards enjoy continentally hot, dry summers and cool evenings which yield premium Provençal fruit quality for rosés of extraordinary elegance, structure and depth of flavour. Its therefore no wonder the region over the last twenty years has hosted a steady stream of like-minded winemakers from Burgundy, Bordeaux and Champagne.

For us, such authenticity and quality resulted in a two-pallet sell-out of the 2021 vintage (a new listing in our portfolio). Thanks to this, the producer has offered us a one-off parcel - and price - of the 2020 which shows to be a very fine rosé, tasting better for a year in bottle.

Tasting notes:
Château Bellini rosé looks so alluring with its pale, glimmering, rose-gold colour in the summer sun. With the gentlest of swirls, wonderful aromas of peach and apricot emerge from the glass, further time reveals notes of grapefruit and citrus; it's ripe, fresh and complex yet elegant. The palate is just delicious, ripe, but not overly sweet, apricot and blood orange are the first to come forth which evolves into a gentle swathe of peach and pear. There's a welcome touch of weight to the palate, with just enough citrus to freshen, whilst retaining a glossy feel with no sharp edges. To finish you are gifted a hint of wild strawberry with a very delicate touch of spice that relentlessly hangs on the finish, it's exceptionally lengthy, minutes later those beautiful flavours are still present.

This really is an exceptionally fine wine, perfectly balanced, complex and flavourful yet elegant and delicate, certainly one of the finest rosé wines we have tasted this year.

Critic review:
"Pale salmon pink. Subtle but powerful red berries and white stone fruit, not yet quite showing all of its power. With long, fresh pomelo acidity, this is a tightly structured, weighty wine rather than fruit-forward, the cooler climate and Cabernet-Syrah components giving greater depth. The well-integrated but somewhat hidden tannins make it a serious rosé with ageing potential. Owned by Tom Bove, former owner of Miraval. Drink 2021-2025."
93/100 Points - Decanter