Maison Boutinot Cuvee Edalise Cotes de Provence Rose

Like all good stories, that of Boutinot France is both long and a little bit complicated! Boutinot began as a tiny importer in 1980, specialising in French wines. Paul Boutinot himself began by personally selecting the wines from France, back in the UK he would unload the trailer by hand. And deliver the crates of wines to customers himself. But good things grow and by the end of the decade we had become a bigger and better company. A company that not only sought out great wines but made them too. After 10 years later, Boutinot France started in January 1990. The first office was in the middle of the vines in Julienas; perfectly located to navigate the Beaujolais and Macon regions on the quest to make beautiful wines.

Grenache, Cinsault, Vermentino (Rolle)

By trialling different varieties in varying proportions (as the relative freedom of the Cotes de Provence appellation regulations allow) she perfected the blend to create Edalise. The final selection of Grenache, Cinsault and Rolle may seem typical, yet cuvées of the same variety have quite different characteristics depending on the vineyards position. For example, Grenache - which forms the major part of the blend - from coastal areas gives red berry fruit, while from rockier, calcerous areas gives white peach notes. Cinsault offers delicate spice and an herbaceous twist while Rolle offers delicate floral aromatics of orange blossom and mandarin. Samantha’s skill lies first in finding then blending these nuances so that there is harmony between each component part, lifting the wine to give finesse and length of finish while also achieving the delicate, ethereal colour expected of a Cotes de Provence rosé at this level.

Delightfully crisp and refreshing, as Provence rose should be. Powdery pink in colour, with notes of white peaches, redcurrants and mandarin.

Chilled Provence rose is a fantastic food wine. Fresh seafood is the natural partner to the crisp acidity of this Edalise rosé but serve with more robustly flavoured summer dishes too, such as a salade nicoise or feta and spinach tart.