2019 Château de Segries Tavel Rose

Château de Ségriès’ Tavel is a brilliant rosé, and was such a standout at a February tasting that we had to secure all we could for Wine Access members. Even in a large room full of top rosé, we could tell that it was special—without even factoring its $18 price-tag, a fraction of comparable wines from Bandol.

It was a quick strike mission—fly into New York for the trade tasting and get out. The redeye wasn’t ideal, but one of our favorite importers of rosé was going to have all his top bottlings on offer, so we used the flight to plan our attack: spread out, taste the prime candidates, and be ready to move. It was a competitive market and we knew we were going to have to be quick to find the best of the new vintage to offer to our members.

15 minutes in, a group text chimed with the code to stop everything: “Found it. Table 17. Tavel.”

OK, it was time to move—and we quickly had Château de Ségriès’ yet-to-be-bottled Tavel rosé in our glasses. The aromatics were absolutely pristine, with red cherries, strawberries, and a hint of rosémary, but it was the palate that took our breath away. Zesty, bright, and lively, it carried powerful flavors of red currants, alpine strawberries, and peach skin with an electric current of minerality and a bone-dry finish that left us immediately wanting more. In a sea of rosés, this stood out like a lighthouse beacon.

It’s rare to find a Tavel that brings this much refreshment to match its richness and fruit, much less at this price. At just $18, this delivers Bandol-like nerve and refreshment at a fraction of the price. We knew we had to lock down as much of this as we could for Wine Access members.

Back in the dawn of time, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and before rosé was a “thing” —you know, as recently as the 1970s—Tavel was one the most famous rosés of France and one of the most prestigious wines of the Rhône, bar none. Although Bandol is now the celebrity appellation for pink wine, Tavel still offers incredible wines from historic terroirs—at a fraction of the price of its Provençal cousin.

Château de Ségriès is one of Tavel’s standout producers. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate has praised them as “great values” and said that “this estate has been on a qualitative hot streak for more than a decade”—a trend that continues with this 91-point 2019, their highest-ever score from Vinous and a reflection that this is perhaps the finest rosé they’ve made.

Château de Ségriès boasts unique soils that combine a mélange of sand with limestone and Châteauneuf-du-Pape-style galets roulés—perfect for preserving the freshness and minerality that sets their Tavel apart from wines that have plenty of richness but not much else. Add a cool fermentation in concrete tanks to preserve fruit, plus 60-year-old vines for complexity and nuance, and you have the recipe for a superlative rosé.

This is a wine that’s as at home on its own as it is alongside a seafood stew, smoked fish, ratatouille, or a perfectly grilled pork chop. While it’s an easy partner, it’s hard to keep around, so stock up while you can.

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Sweetness
• Acidity
• Tannin

• ABV 14.50%
• Enjoy right away
• Drink Up
• 50% Grenache30% Cinsault10% Clairette10% Syrah
• Serving temperature – 48°
• Cork