Coeur de Cardeline Rosé

This Provence pink is not coy and pallid: it has a faint strawberry flush and a warm apricoty nose with just a hint of macaroon. With a slight prickle on the palate, this would pair perfectly with ripe melon and Jambon de Bayonne. The producer is the innovative firm of Boutinot, an entrepreneurial group that started as a door-to-door importer to the UK from the Beaujolais region, back in 1980. Back then, Paul Boutinot would unload the wines himself and deliver them to customers. Today, his business encompasses vineyards in his original area, plus nearby Macon as well as the Rhône Valley and Provence.

 

“A faint strawberry flush and a warm apricoty nose with just a hint of macaroon.”

 

Coeur de Cardeline hails from the central area of the Côtes de Provence appellation, where vines are protected from the sharp winds of the region by the Maure mountains. The canopy is also shaded from the hot Mediterranean sun. Grapes are machine harvested late August to early September. Grapes are de-stemmed and loaded straight into the press to extract a pale pink colour, the best of the aroma and flavour from just under the skin. The must is clarified overnight, inoculated and fermented at low temp for a week to 10 days. The wine is then racked to prevent any malolactic fermentation in order to retain the fresh natural acidity in the wine. The grape varieties used for this wine are classic Grenache, that curranty mainstay of the zone, which is hugely versatile; and Cinsault, which adds a little more depth and bite. The resulting balanced wine is a genuine crowd pleaser.

 

 

Lunch ready at only £8 from Co-Op stores and a modest 12.5% alcohol, to tempt you to another glass.

16 / 20 Rosé Score
£8RRP
Rose Score16

About The Author

I’m Rosalind and I’m here to talk to you about Rosé. Whether it’s your first choice or your last on a wine list, this site is for you. After years of writing about and tasting wine, there is something truly special to me about the pink stuff. On the Rose Report, I write reviews of the best Rosé Wines. You can find out more about me HERE.