Domaine Henri Milan - Papillon rosé 2014

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

The Henri Milan estate, well known in Parisian circles for its "natural wines" (with no added sulfur), produces a much wider range of wines on its 15 hectares of vineyards just outside Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Established in 1956 in the Baux de Provence appellation area, it left in 2007 to pursue its own path according to the philosophy of Henri, a man of conviction and an explorer of winemaking with as few inputs as possible. He decided to classify all his wines as Vin de France in order to be completely free in his choices. Since 2013, his daughter Emmanuelle has been gradually taking over the reins. Since then, the wines have been moving towards greater precision, which is no bad thing in our opinion.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About wine:

The 2014 Papillon Rosé (sulfur-free) is a wine of rare intensity in this color. Notes of fresh figs and pepper, as well as its slight tannic roughness, make it an extraordinary rosé, truly original and delicious, far from any trend!

About the estate:

In the Galine district of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, a small town in the Alpilles region highly prized by a bourgeois clientele, the iconoclastic Henri Milan, supported by his son Théo, remains faithful to the boldly free wines he first produced in the 1990s. The winemaking process, which is far removed from academic standards and carried out with little sulfur, highlights the lively expressions of fruit that come mainly from limestone scree and blue marl. Produced from a short maceration of Grenache, Syrah, Merlot, Cinsault, and Cabernet Sauvignon, the reds are flavorful, from the fruity cuvées to the ambitious S&X, Eliott, and Le Clos. The identity of the whites La Carrée (pure Roussanne) and Le Grand Blanc (Grenache Blanc, Rolle, Roussanne, Chardonnay, Muscat Petit Grains) is assertive, with a high relief of clean flavors.