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La Bastide des Oliviers 'Cuvée Classique' Rosé
La Bastide des Oliviers 'Cuvée Classique' Rosé
Grapes — Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault
Region — Coteaux Varois en Provence, Var, France
Tasting Notes — Pale salmon with a luminous Provençal clarity. Raspberry, tangerine, and ruby grapefruit on the nose, with a whisper of lavender, fresh herbs, and the unmistakable limestone minerality of the Var's chalky soils. The palate is lively and creamy at once, with ripe strawberry and peach fruit, a refreshing acidity, and a clean, dry finish that keeps you reaching back. Crisp, generous, and genuinely satisfying — a rosé that earns its place on any table without once asking you to think about it.
The Wine — A classic Provençal rosé from the Coteaux Varois, one of the Var's most sheltered appellations, nestled between the limestone massifs of Sainte-Baume and Loube. These mountains protect the vineyards from the prevailing winds, creating a naturally cool, dry microclimate that extends the growing season and preserves freshness and aromatic precision in the fruit. The blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and Cinsault draws on the full character of Provence's traditional grape varieties, each contributing its own dimension to a wine that is consistently greater than the sum of its parts.
Farming — Certified organic by Ecocert for two generations — a commitment to the land that predates the organic movement's modern popularity by decades. Patrick Mourlan farms his 10 acres of scattered vineyards among wheat and chickpea fields south of Brignoles in total quiet, using only the organic methods passed down from his parents. No synthetic pesticides, no herbicides, no chemical fertilizers. This is farming as habit and inheritance, not trend or marketing.
Winemaking — Hand harvested. Produced in a modern cellar built in 2000, equipped with a pneumatic press and thermoregulated stainless steel tanks for precise temperature management. Minimal to zero sulfite additions — the cellar's modern sanitary conditions allow Patrick to produce wines without reliance on sulfur as a preservative. Clean, honest, and uncomplicated.
The Producer — La Bastide des Oliviers sits in Garéoult in the Var, a few miles inland from the Côte d'Azur but worlds away from the luxury estates and celebrity rosé brands that dominate its coastline. Patrick Mourlan manages the family vineyard quietly and without ceremony — no extravagant château, no palm trees, no marketing machinery. Just organically farmed vines on argilo-calcareous soils, tended the same way his parents tended them before him. The estate also produces Ecocert certified olive oil from the olive trees that share the land with the vines. Patrick's straightforward approach has a way of producing wines far more captivating than many of his better-funded neighbors — which is exactly what a wine like this should do.
Drink It With — Grilled fish with herbs, Nicoise salad, fresh goat cheese, a charcuterie spread, anything at all on a warm summer evening, or directly on a beach with nothing more than good company.
La Bastide des Oliviers 'Cuvée Classique' Rosé
Grapes — Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault
Region — Coteaux Varois en Provence, Var, France
Tasting Notes — Pale salmon with a luminous Provençal clarity. Raspberry, tangerine, and ruby grapefruit on the nose, with a whisper of lavender, fresh herbs, and the unmistakable limestone minerality of the Var's chalky soils. The palate is lively and creamy at once, with ripe strawberry and peach fruit, a refreshing acidity, and a clean, dry finish that keeps you reaching back. Crisp, generous, and genuinely satisfying — a rosé that earns its place on any table without once asking you to think about it.
The Wine — A classic Provençal rosé from the Coteaux Varois, one of the Var's most sheltered appellations, nestled between the limestone massifs of Sainte-Baume and Loube. These mountains protect the vineyards from the prevailing winds, creating a naturally cool, dry microclimate that extends the growing season and preserves freshness and aromatic precision in the fruit. The blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and Cinsault draws on the full character of Provence's traditional grape varieties, each contributing its own dimension to a wine that is consistently greater than the sum of its parts.
Farming — Certified organic by Ecocert for two generations — a commitment to the land that predates the organic movement's modern popularity by decades. Patrick Mourlan farms his 10 acres of scattered vineyards among wheat and chickpea fields south of Brignoles in total quiet, using only the organic methods passed down from his parents. No synthetic pesticides, no herbicides, no chemical fertilizers. This is farming as habit and inheritance, not trend or marketing.
Winemaking — Hand harvested. Produced in a modern cellar built in 2000, equipped with a pneumatic press and thermoregulated stainless steel tanks for precise temperature management. Minimal to zero sulfite additions — the cellar's modern sanitary conditions allow Patrick to produce wines without reliance on sulfur as a preservative. Clean, honest, and uncomplicated.
The Producer — La Bastide des Oliviers sits in Garéoult in the Var, a few miles inland from the Côte d'Azur but worlds away from the luxury estates and celebrity rosé brands that dominate its coastline. Patrick Mourlan manages the family vineyard quietly and without ceremony — no extravagant château, no palm trees, no marketing machinery. Just organically farmed vines on argilo-calcareous soils, tended the same way his parents tended them before him. The estate also produces Ecocert certified olive oil from the olive trees that share the land with the vines. Patrick's straightforward approach has a way of producing wines far more captivating than many of his better-funded neighbors — which is exactly what a wine like this should do.
Drink It With — Grilled fish with herbs, Nicoise salad, fresh goat cheese, a charcuterie spread, anything at all on a warm summer evening, or directly on a beach with nothing more than good company.