A wine with no Cellartracker (Yay!): Picowines, Pico, ‘PetNat’, 2015 From the volcanic, lonely island of Pico, grapes are grown on Portugal’s tallest mountain shielded from the winds along its’ slope. Even here, the local cooperative makes a petnat, imagine that. I’d like to say I liked it, but sometimes fortune doesn’t shine. This is bracing, tangy, displaying elements of both volcanism and the sea, fitting, I guess. You can almost taste the sulfur fumaroles from Pico volcano… This is a “dare you” wine for those who love Muscadet and other acidic beasts, but this is on a whole 'nother level. Too bad it is a bit simple and without more body. 11% B/B-
Another year and this has blossomed. Perhaps one of my top 3 roses, Chateau Simone, Palette, rose, 2012 ranks as one of the great ones. Has the coolest color of orange-tinged salmon, looking like a live fire ember. Spiced orange skin and watermelon on the nose, in the mouth is like a clove-spiked orange stewing in fruit juices of watermelon, strawberry, and honeydew, with a limestone finish. Good acidity here, and even better than I remember from a year or so back. Beautiful! 14% but not showing, except a lithe fullness. About as complete a rose as you could find, or want. A
Of course it’s not cheap, but you don’t expect to get DRC at discount either. I said this is one of the top 3 roses in the world, imo. If you can find the best of anything for $50 bucks,…why wouldn’t you? This is not ‘sip by the pool’ rose (although you could do that), it is a real wine and I give it the respect it deserves as such.
Markus is dead on here. This is among the best Provençal roses. If not the best. 2012 was an excellent vintage. And this wine is up there in my book too with Cotat and Tondonia roses among the world’s best. That’s a lot of wine relatively speaking for $50 on release in the US.
There is no official “grand cru” designation in Provence. The way that I understand it, current proprietor Jean-Francois Rougier’s grandfather presented the domaine’s wines at local fairs as a “Grand Cru de Provence” before the appellation system was created. Today, Simone’s neck labels are allowed to bear that otherwise unauthorized declaration, due to the historical assertion.
Agreed that the rose is superb. I think of it more like an aromatic, light-bodied red. Marcus’ note captures it well. The price should be about $50, which I believe is fair for the quality. It’s not for quaffing. The domaine’s red and white are among my favorites from Provence as well, as both have deep aromas and flavors, but are fresh and vigorous. The white has a reputation for aging well for decades.
When I lived in Provence for a few months, I remember looking up vineyards and notice Palette and its designation. (I was in Cassis, so I was drinking mainly their whites–good but don’t travel or age well–and Bandol reds.)
Interesting that the grandfather got away with it.