La Vieille Ferme Rose Magnum 1500ml 2023

Mike Bennie - The Wine Front

The family Perrin, multi-generational (increasingly organic) vignerons in the Rhone Valley, were and are doing just fine as stately, multi-tier Rhone producers. This wine, however, has thrust Perrin into the stratosphere – social media has gotten a hold of ‘chicken wine’ and it’s having its moment (and epoch) in the sun. Say ‘chicken wine’ to any savvy, younger gen social media user and they’ll drop this in your lap – this likely transcends generations but the internet ‘it moment’ is happening. The Aus version is screw-capped in bottle for our pleasure, though it also comes in cans and casks elsewhere. It’s cinsault, syrah, grenache. It’s pale. It’s fresh. When I bought it at a low key drive through it was ‘2 for $32’, though I just went the one at $18. It’s fresh and bright, very light weight and clean. Barely there, washy and watery rose hip tea and cherry juice characters, a faint touch of just-ripe raspberry, lime in mineral water, a light saltiness. It doesn’t do much fragrance or flavour but it is refreshing generally, and its dry finish is appealing. I drank a glass and it was ok, I started on a second and it made me feel a little like I was consuming a flat rosé seltzer and it went to my head. Splashed around at subzero cold out of an Esky and I am sure we are all good. It sits a bit above golf club function wine and just below something to drink in a suburban bistro, with a ‘let’s get heaps pissed by drinking a shit tonne of this’ sensibility, if that’s your jam. It’s decent fodder. I’d go here again but would add heaps of ice and drink it out of a pint glass, and not the stemless wine glass I thought best.