What do you get when you combine one of the best wine regions in the world with one of the best winemakers in the world? You get this rosé, and it is brilliant.

Musings by the Glass - Tasty Recommendations - Domaine Les Pallieres Rose Wine from Gigondas, Southern Rhone Valley, France

Producer: Domaine Les Pallières

Region: Gigondas, Southern Rhône Valley, France

Grape(s): Clairette, Grenache, Cinsault

Tasting Notes: Lemon peel, tangerine, red berries, white peach, steely minerality

Pairings: Literally everything, but especially the beach.

Price (approximately): $18

Buy: Fujioka's Wine Times

My Musings:

This wine combines so many of my favorite things. It hails from one of my favorite regions in the world, Southern Rhône, and is carefully crafted by one of my favorite winemakers, Daniel Brunier! How can we go wrong with this superstar combination?!?

I first met Daniel at the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival, where he showcased his flagship Châteauneuf-du-pape Domaine, Vieux Télégraphe, in a vertical tasting seminar. Daniel’s wit and wisdom displayed a passionate and long-standing family tradition of winemaking in the Rhône Valley. I also resonate with his “no pipes, no pumps, no screws” motto that concisely conveys his attempt to ensure “maximum wine in the wine.” Grapes, not gimmicks, guarantee good wine. The result is a consistently beautiful expression of this classic French winemaking philosophy.

Reaching beyond his home in the New Castle of the Pope, Daniel found an exciting, new venture in the neighboring Gigondas appellation. Domaine Les Pallières, a working farm since the Fifteenth Century, found distinction over time for producing wines of impeccable character. Unfortunately, a series of events and neglect resulted in the Domaine falling into disrepair. While the farm goats offered no complaints, wine production struggled. Here, Daniel and his business partner, Kermit Lynch, found opportunity. Brunier and Lynch purchased the Domaine in 1998, and the Pallières revival began in haste.

A mere 10 miles from the famed Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the village of Gigondas extends from the plain east of the Ouvèze River up to the Dentelles de Montmirail, a wondrous tableau of jagged limestone hills. Gigondas enjoys a cooler climate than its more famous neighbor due to higher altitude and a steady Mistral wind that blows down the valley. Domaine du Pallières cultivates vineyards on the slopes of the Dentelles de Montmirail that range between 250 and 400 meters in altitude. Sand and clay mixed amongst the limestone yields a wine of structure and excellent minerality.

This wine is dry, elegant, and wonderfully structured, with fruit taking a back seat to citrus (lemon peel, tangerine) and steely mineral elements. As the wine warms and opens, red berry fruit and white peach provide a sweet balance to the dry and crisp body. Overall, a delightfully refreshing rosé just in time for the warming weather!

In Honolulu, pick up a bottle for only $18 at Fujioka's Wine Times.

Cheers!

My Musings:

Ah, Beaujolais, the forgotten brother. While it is administratively linked to Burgundy, its famous neighbor to the north, the two regions are vastly different in terms of climate, topography, terroir, and wines produced. This has produced, to the North, some of the most sought after and expensive wines in world, leaving southern Beaujolais in the shadow of its prestigious brother.

But that has not stopped Beaujolais from making incredible wine. Wine production in the appellation can be traced back to the Roman era, when the Roman Legion traversed north from the Rhône Valley into Beaujolais. Where Legions travel, wine and frivolity follows! The wines, fine tuned by the Benedictine Monks, sufficiently intoxicated the residents, but rarely ventured outside its borders. With the advent of newly-expanded train routes in the 19th Century, Beaujolais wines cultivated new admirers in the lucrative Paris metropolis and beyond. The light, easy-sipping Beaujolais region now produces more wine annually than the rest of Burgundy combined.

The region is made famous for its fresh, vivid, easy-drinking red wines. Unequivocally, this is red wine country. However, elevation in its volcanic regions (Côte de Brouilly and Côte du Py), combined with occasional limestone patches, create opportunity for winemakers to craft compelling white wines. Enter Chardonnay, the shining white star of Burgundy. Nestled atop the ancient volcano of Mont Brouilly, the iconic Château Thivin enjoys cool nights and unique terroir (consisting of limestone and blue granite) that affords focused flavors, bright floral elements, and balancing acidity. These are ideal conditions for Chardonnay.

The nose greets you with fresh ripe fruit of apricot and yellow apple, followed by lemon zest and floral elements. On the palate, the wine has an oily and full texture (though not unpleasant), with plenty of fruit, lightly toasted hazelnut (from the oak aging) and finishing strong with refreshing citrus acidity and minerality.

On the rare occasion you can find a Beaujolais Blanc, you must take advantage! In Honolulu, pick up a bottle at Fujioka's Wine Times.

Cheers!