Côtes de Provence - The Essence of Summer

Azure blue skies; sun-kissed landscape; glittering sea; the smell of lavender, rosemary, olive groves, and hot, baked earth; local market stalls groaning under the weight of a kaleidoscope of  ripe summer fruits, and vegetables; pastis in the shade of the local bar, watching boules – this is Provence, in all its entrancing evocativeness, and it brings memories of lazy, hazy Summer holidays, and all that is good about life.

Provence has an infinitesimal magic, and beguiling charm – the sun, the pace of life, the light, the sheer beauty of the landscape; once you’ve left the buzz and glitz of the Riviera, there is a mesmerizing charm about the Provence hinterland, almost a step back in time.  This is real Provence, and nothing epitomises it more than its produce and its wines.

Côtes de Provence Rose, that tremulously pale peach, delicately fragrant, dry Rosé has taken the UK by storm over the past couple of years. Sales are booming, and there’s no better time than balmy May to stick a few bottles on ice, and enjoy an early taste of Summer.  With new season vegetables now in, and a trend to Mediterranean flavours in our food, these lovely palest pink beauties are also the perfect foil to their freshness, and evocative of the Riviera mood.

But which to choose?  Great Western Wine has captured the zeitgeist of the moment, and  added to their existing haul of these delicious wines… not just in bottle, but in magnums also…. What better way to make a statement and create the ‘wow’ factor than to serve a splendid looking large bottle, rather than two smaller ones to your guests?!  And now’s the best time of the year, with the freshest of the recent 2015 vintage hitting the shelves.

Provencal food is all about freshness, vegetables, herbs, seafood, and the pinkest of lamb – simplicity, colour and flavour on a plate.  A classic to serve with drinks on the terrace, (or in the garden in good old Blighty), would be Tapenade, an aromatic, dark paste, made of olives, capers, anchovies, garlic and olive oil, and Anchoiade, a similar dip , based on anchovies and garlic, served either with slices of toasted baguette, or with crudités. Throw in a platter of charcuterie, or a slice of Pissaladiere, the Provencal equivalent of pizza, topped with onion, olive and anchovy, and you have the perfect, simple lunch.   Try these with a bottle or two of  Côtes de Provence Rosé, La Vidaubanaise 2015, one of the best value Provence pinks on the shelves -  bright and breezy, in the characteristic Monroe-esque hourglass bottle, full of strawberry and lemon balm charm, it’s the perfect, fruity, alfresco pink.

It’s easy to generalize Provence rosé – just like any other area, there are different levels, different qualities, wines made by co-operatives, wines made on private estates.  Step up Château Gassier ‘Le Pas du Moine’ 2015, a sophisticated rosé produced on an estate, managed by the 5^th generation of this wine-making family. This is a wine with real personality; raspberry fruit, scents of thyme and rosemary, and a polished, elegant style, which  would work deliciously with a platter of char-grilled prawns, or a plate of a local dish, Petits Farcis, which are vegetables (normally courgettes, peppers, aubergines or tomatoes), stuffed with seasoned minced beef and slow roasted. I reckon it would also be pretty smart with a tangy goats cheese, pomegranate and rocket salad.

Moving up the scale, the freshest of fish, from red mullet to seabream, together with a cornucopia of seafood, is always great with Rosé, simply pan-fried with herbs, lemon and olive oil, bringing out those evocative fresh herb and citrus aromas. Château Sainte Marguerite  Grande Reserve, Cru Classe 2015 has incredible verve and style; balancing poised, restrained elegance, with racy, luscious red berry fruit flavours, and a lascivious twist of wild herbs. You’ll enjoy it even more in the impressive-looking magnums.
Finally, an old classic Domaines Ott, Clos Mireille Rose 2014 (also available in magnums) is up there with the top 5 iconic Southern French Roses, a carefully-crafted peachy-pink wine, full of verve, redcurrant and citrus flavours; it has an aristocratic wild edge about it, but embodies the spirit of the region.  I would be very happy if I could sit and  drink this with a colourful plate of fresh Tuna Niçoise, the tuna steak, seared on the outside and rare inside, with the brightest of green beans and tomatoes, combined with the slightly oozing yolks of barely hard-boiled eggs, salty anchovies and tangy olives.  Heaven.

Summer is coming. Enjoy a taste of Provence.

 By Angela Mount