The first bottling of the new year included the first of the new vintage wines, our delicately pink 2019 Rosé, now consolidated under the label ‘La Vie en Rose’, whose name conjures up a blissful state, where life is a source of joy and all appears rosy!  This deliciously quaffable rosé will be available just as the weather begins to improve and our thoughts turn to sunny summer salads and super fresh shellfish.  

Also making a comeback after 12 years is ‘Le Pinacle’ Chardonnay, from the 2018 vintage.  This is a luxurious, barrel fermented Chardonnay that spent 12 months aging in new and one-year-old French oak barrels, with partial malolactic fermentation.  This will be released in the spring, as the days get longer, when it will be a perfect accompaniment to al fresco grilled fish, barbecued chicken or spiced roasted cauliflower steaks.

Finally we also bottled a new vintage of ‘Les Derniers Cépages’, our slightly niche red wine that has developed rather a cult following, last produced in 2012.  The initial goal with this wine was to make a totally unique blend, so it began as a Petit Verdot and Mourvedre assemblage, which we believe was the only one of its kind.  In 2018, given the quality and style of each variety, this wine has developed into a non-traditional blend for the Languedoc, but one that is familiar elsewhere, i.e. a Bordelaise blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Merlot.  These varieties mature later than others at Sainte Rose, hence the name (the last or latest varieties), but ripen beautifully in our warm, dry climate, creating rich ripe fruit flavours and warm generous tannins.  This wine will be released later in the year and will be perfect paired with hearty root vegetable tagines and slow roasted meats.