Tavel

Tavel is a southern Rhône appellation that produces exclusively rosé wines. At the heart of the Rhone Valley's finest terroirs, and supported by generations of winegrowers for centuries, Tavel was the wine of kings and remains an elite wine, the wine of those for whom passion and authenticity are the condition of pleasure. As early as 1902, Tavel was the site of one of France's very first farmers' associations. After lengthy legal battles, in 1928 these winegrowers obtained a delimitation of the Tavel appellation area. In 1936, with the creation of the INAO, they immediately obtained classification as AOC Tavel. Today, this protection covers 960 hectares, limited to the municipality of Tavel.

If you look at a map, you'll find a beautiful neighborhood, Avignon, Châteauneuf du Pape, the sunny Gard region, Mediterranean lands swept by the Mistral wind.

Among AOC wines, it is the only one to have deliberately refused to produce both red and white wines, in keeping with its age-old specialization: here, the color pink is not a fashion, it's an original identity, with Tavel being described as the "King of Rosés".

Powerful and aromatic, Tavel wines are widely regarded as the best rosé in France. They can be recognized by their embossed bottle. The grape varieties used are Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Picpoul and Carignan. No single grape variety may account for more than 60% of a vineyard's total planting. The reputation of the Tavel terroir is admirably defended by the products of Château d'Aquéria, Domaine Pélaquié, Domaine Maby and Domaine de la Mordorée.

Tavel wines benefit from exceptional sunshine and little rainfall. The soil is clay, with sand and rolled pebbles. The choice of grape varieties - Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault - is an excellent combination for creating a rosé wine. However, some inventive winemakers wanted to create a little brother with similar virtues, and so an equally tasty Tavel white wine was born.

First, there's elegance. It's a formal virtue that can be appreciated first and foremost in these distinctive bottles of Tavel rosé wines. Their slender design is recognizable at a glance. But there are many ways for a wine to exist: through the eyes, through the nose and through the mouth.

When young, Tavel rosé offers a lovely shade of light pink, limpid and luminous. Then, as it ages, its colors are enriched by pretty golden reflections on a pink background that can deepen.

These are scents of black and red fruits, raspberries, blueberries and blackcurrants. Occasional hints of almond or walnut are also present. After a year's cellaring, new aromas emerge. A little older, Tavel wines develop a hint of licorice, port or Madeira.

Aromas of fruit, spices, nuts and almonds, a combination so subtle that you need to keep it on the palate for a while to let it unfold. Tavel rosé wine has a roundness in the mouth, a suppleness that doesn't assault the taste buds.