We probably didn’t really need another French rosé on our books—but this one was simply too damn seductive to refuse. Coeur Clémentine is the brainchild of a motley crew of rosé fanatics who – sick of paying through the teeth for high-quality, ‘everyday’ Provençal rosé – decided to have a crack at making one themselves. Years on, thanks to the quality of its wine, the project has taken on a life of it's own.
Headed up by St. Helen-born Steve Veytia, Clémentine produce only a single still wine (this rosé), sourced from organically-managed, chalky-clay parcels in the heart of the Côtes de Provence, around the achingly pretty commune of Puget-Ville. Jean Christophe Audéoud looks after the winemaking which uses the traditional direct press method and maturation in both concrete and stainless steel. The wine is made at the 93 year-old Cellier Saint Sidoine in Puget-Ville (roughly half way between Bandol and Saint Tropez).
The rosé below is assembled from Grenache, Cinsault, Tibouren (a Provençal rarity which brings aromas of garrigue, the herby scrub of southern France), and a small splash of Syrah. It’s a dainty, soft pink colour with tantalizing raspberry fruit and woody herb aromas, accented by a racy freshness cutting a swathe though its silky and open-knit texture. Firm, crisp and balanced, it finishes dry and tangy with white pepper and floral notes and lovely length. Yet for all this, it’s a wine of joy. A wine of pleasure. A wine for drinking rather than thinking.
