We first tasted Domaine Saint Andrieu rosé after a chance meeting with Jean-Michel Laporte of Château Talbot. In a region dominated by brands, finding a rosé made from specific plots at a small estate that offers both quality and value is increasingly difficult, but this wine ticked all the boxes straight away. We tasted the new vintage – the 2025 – last month and placed our order on the spot. The wine has now shipped from Provence and is available for delivery.
The domaine is found just north of the village of Correns in the heart of Provence. Owned for more than twenty years by Jean-Paul and Nancy Bignon, owners of Château Talbot, it lies at an elevation of 600 metres, and has sixteen hectares of vines planted on clay-limestone soils. The Bignons are clearly enamoured of the domaine and have undertaken considerable work in both the vines and the cellar in pursuit of quality.
The blend is typically Provençale: mostly Grenache and Syrah, with some Cinsault, Rolle and Mourvèdre. The grapes are harvested at night to preserve freshness, then chilled on arrival in the cellar, where they receive a gentle pressing after a short period of skin contact. Fermentation then takes place in stainless steel in what is a remarkable gravity-fed cellar.
Open the bottle and the wine is everything you want from a summer rosé: pale salmon in colour, it is vibrant, crisp and dry. Delicate, fresh fruit on the nose is followed by crunchy red fruit in the mouth, with a finish that has you immediately coming back for more.
It is, moreover, a bargain, priced at £164.64 per dozen including taxes (for orders of one dozen plus) - £13.72 per bottle before delivery. We think it is a steal and the perfect rosé to enjoy this summer.
Another excellent vintage for this Provencal rosé, Saint Andrieu is a pale pink colour in the glass and has a vibrant, perfumed nose of peach, white strawberry and fresh blood orange. The palate is smooth but dry, the bright acidity keeping everything fresh but the core of fruit impressive and layered, there are cool tones of red fruits, white plum and even a little garrigue. This is a delicious, dry and moreish rosé with enough substance and complexity to engage novices and collectors alike. It is perfect as an aperitif and is intense and long enough to enjoy with food, too. Excellent value for money.
