Now, it’s time for rosé. France has long dominated the rosé market, although everyone and their brother is trying to get in on it these days. And within France, an overwhelming majority of rosé has always come from Provence. Within French rosé, there has always been a perceived dichotomy between rosé that is cheap, simple, and drinkable, and the more serious versions–virtually all of which come from the village of Bandol. Indeed, ask any wine lover their favorite rosé, and Bandol is sure to come up. But Corsica is coming for Bandol’s throne when it comes to serious rosé. And Yves Leccia is leading that charge.
HOW TO:
Yves’ IGP Île de Beauté Rosé is always both a customer and staff favorite year in and year out. A blend of native Corsican varieties that Yves himself helped to replant and preserve–Nielluciu & Sciacarellu to be specific–it is the perfect example of a wine that expresses considerable profundity without sacrificing what makes rosé so desirable in the first place–refreshment and sheer pleasure. Now, the thing about rosé is that everyone gets all worked up about the most recent vintage, which in many cases is rushed from tanks into bottle to hit the US market before summer. But, like all great wine, serious rosé often needs time in bottle to unfurl, calm down, and settle into itself. The best wines are often twice as delicious with a year of bottle age than they were upon release. As such, we’ve taken the liberty to offer Yves’ 2018 rosé, that is drinking like a dream today. Drink with lunch, as an apéritif, or with an elaborate meal. It will pair beautifully with everything from seafood to funky cheese to hot dogs.
