2020 Domaine Houchart Cotes de Provence Rose

Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.

Cotes de Provence is an extensive but valuable appellation that includes vineyards bordering the main Provencal appellations. Its sites vary from subalpine hills, which receive the cooling effects of the mountains to the north, to the coastal St-Tropez, a region mainly influenced by the warm Mediterranean sunshine. Here the focus is on quality rosé, as it defines four fifths of the region’s wines.

Domaine Houchart At the heart of a region that is rich in ancient history, the estate was probably the site of a Gallo-roman “Villa”, a stones throw from the “Via Aurelia”. Several fragments have been found in the area and some tegulae (roman roof tiles) have been recovered from ruins on the estate. Also, the Trepanouille spring which serves the estate was probably used during this period.

Today Florence and Jean-Baptiste are the fifth generation of the family to work on the estate.