Château Simone rouge 2015

Bettane & Desseauve

About wine:

Still reserved, it slowly begins to reveal itself. Made for aging, the estate's wines never give themselves away at first taste. Fresh and elegant, the fine tannins provide structure. A refined red wine with notes of black berries, spices, and bay leaf, this is a beautiful bottle in the making.

About the estate:

This is the most famous château in the Palette appellation, whose style has been carefully nurtured by the Rougier family for nearly two centuries. The 25 hectares of vines are located at an altitude of around 200 meters, on a north-facing slope that protects them from the harsh sun and mistral winds. But the estate's real treasure is undoubtedly its many very old vines, pampered by respectful viticulture, which has been undergoing official organic certification since 2018. The wine, aged in vaulted cellars built into the rock by the Grands Carmes monks of Aix in the 16th century, is often underestimated in its youth. After a few years of aging, all the vintages reveal admirable complexity and depth, including the rosés. It is therefore best to keep the bottles in the cellar for a while, despite the impatience of some.

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

About wine:

Even in a hot vintage, the Grenache grapes that dominate this cuvée retain a cool austerity due to their northern exposure. The wine will evolve with ash-like nuances and shine with the slender vigor of its tannins. Beautiful bouquet of garrigue on the finish. Made for aging.

About the estate:

From the top of the hillsides of Château Simone, a Cézanne painting comes to mind: one can admire the century-old vines clinging to the Langesse limestone, opening up to the north towards the Sainte-Victoire mountain. "La Simone," as the Rougier family likes to call it, is certainly the most famous vintage in the eyes of lovers of great Mediterranean white wines. It is true that René and Jean-François Rougier cultivate this white wine far from any technicality, displaying incredible breed, balance, and fullness. One of the secrets lies in the slow pressing and aging for twenty months in large oak vats, then in barrels. It is also the fruit of an 8-hectare plot, planted with several grape varieties, mainly Clairette (with 2% Muscat making all the difference!), harvested and vinified together. The rosé, Simone's other asset, is always colorful, with intense fruitiness. Its palate, with great concentration, shows aging potential. The red now rivals some of the great wines of the southern Rhône Valley. Grenache and Mourvèdre give it a spirit embodied by a level of maturity and a more accomplished mid-palate than in previous vintages.