My introduction to Provençale rosé came 20 years ago at a beach restaurant in a small town called La Crois-Valmer on the Côtes d’Azur. The blazing summer light, the sea, the food, the wines from nearby producers and the sense of place added up to something magical and unrepeatable. It was an experience of amazing intensity.
A decade or two later, things have moved on. Rosé is, of course, now a huge and familiar category in its own right. It’s a serious wine with gastronomic ambitions. Indeed, global luxury goods company LVMH now has three rosé wineries in Provence: Galoupet, Chateau D’Esclans (of Whispering Angel and Garrus fame) and, most recently, Minuty. Rosé has gone unashamedly premium.
Summer al fresco dining London style - note the coats and furs!
Even so, most agree that the pink stuff is still best quaffed al fresco. Hence, we are gathered for our Minuty tasting at the terrace of an upscale London hotel, the Rosewood London. You enter through an elegant arch where a pop-up restaurant, Minuty Villa, has residence in the inner courtyard over the summer months. On the menu are mainly light dishes such as artichoke salad, saffron risotto and grilled lamb rump.
François Matton and a bottle of 281
The London sun isn’t obliging today, but what might be termed l’esprit de la terrace is very much alive. Our host is François Matton who, with his brother Jean-Étienne, decided 25 years ago to launch the Minuty on its quest to become a leading maker of classy rosés. It remained a family business until last year when LVMH, acquired it. According to Matton, the men at the Paris headquarters of the luxury goods behemoth don’t impose too much. “We try to find a common policy, but we have the last word.” And, he wonders aloud, if they may be best placed to solve problems like water scarcity which is becoming ever more acute.
Giving Minuty rosés the taste test
Minuty’s line-up of rosés comprises four wines. All of them are Appellation Côtes de Provence and all of them are 2023 vintage when, because of extremely hot and dry conditions, the harvest began at night. First, we have M (13% abv, £18.99 RRP at Majestic). This is Grenache 60%, Cinsault 30% and Syrah 10% and the wines are bought in for this ‘entry level’ product. This has a chewy mouthfeel and red berry notes dominate.
One step up and we have Minuty Prestige (£21 RRP) introduces Rolle (aka Vermentino) with a blend of Grenache 70%, Syrah 15%, Rolle 10%, and Cinsault 5%. Crisp and fresh with an abv of 12.5%, this is rounded with creamy red fruits and peach.
Next up from that is Rose et Or (£28 a bottle). Problematically for the uniglot English, that’s rose, not rosé. With grapes from the winery’s three main terroirs (schist, clay and sand) and an abv of 12.5%, this is all strawberries and creaminess.
At the top of the tree at £55 a bottle is the 281 (Grenache 90%, Rolle 10%, 12.5% abv). It stands out with a label of vivid blue (yes, Pantone 281) around the neck and shoulder, designed to show it off to good effect in an ice bucket. It again comes from grapes from the winery’s three main terroirs. Very pale pink, there are red apple and floral notes, redcurrants and cranberries. Interestingly, the recommendation is to serve it at 10°C to 12°C degrees, not very cold so as not to lose the structure.
There is, one imagines, now a friendly rivalry between the three LVMH rosé winemakers. All are truly Provençale but Galoupet focuses on making itself sustainable. And, according to Matton, the roots of Minuty are in white wine while that of d’Esclans are in red.
Meanwhile, Minuty is launching other pop-ups at prestige locations like Gleneagles in Scotland and Lympstone Manor in Devon where customers should find the wines easy to drink, but not overly simple.
