2018 Château Simone Rouge - Côtes de Provence - France 750ml
Grenache 45%, mourvèdre 30%, cinsaut 5%, "secondary" grape variety 20% including syrah, castet, manosquin, carignan, various muscatel. Light crushing and destemming, vatting in small tanks with pumping-over, maceration for 15 to 21 days. Pomace pressed in vertical hydraulic presses. Wood storage only, first in small casks for 8 months, then for one year in oak barrels of different ages, blending for bottling conducted without filtration.
Its location on the north-facing slopes of the Montaiguet massif in a natural bowl-shaped formation protected from the winds and crossed by the Arc river give it a special microclimate. It is influenced by the biodiversity of the nearby forest, the humidity coming from the river with its mass of greenery, its exposure and the fact that the force of the winds is broken. The soil consists essentially of limestone scree formed in lakes in the Tertiary Era combined with clays, pebbles and gravel.
Those of you who know Simone realize that the red, a tenacious but ultimately elegant wine, is an equal, rather than dominant, partner to the striking rosé and the sublime white. Like the rosé, it is a blend primarily of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Cinsault but there are pockets of old-growth vines of Syrah, Manosquin, Castet, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon and Muscat Noir that season the vineyards and add to the stunning complexity of these wines. The influence of Mont Sainte Victoire, its surface covered in rich pine forest, is apparent in the flavors and aromas of the red wine of Simone. - Importer Note
