War of the Rosés! And the Winner is...

Posted by CrushWine

Your Pick for Rosé of the Year!
2009 Commanderie de Peyrassol
Côtes de Provence Rosé
To the Rosé Victor Go the Discounts: Today 15% Off!

We suggest grabbing a whole case, because the number of days you'll spend on the roof at sunset, at a friend's backyard barbecue, or sunbathing seaside in the next few months is definitely at least 12.

For the 5th Annual War of the Rosés last Thursday, 13 proud contenders stepped up to the plate... er... glass, to be sampled by over 300 guests.

And you, the people, have spoken: This year’s winner is the 2009 Commanderie de Peyrassol Côtes de Provence. To honor the win, we’re pleased to offer it today at as low as $13.59 when you buy the case; solid bottles can be had for only $14.49.

Today's offering is classic Provençal rosé with that simple, but exquisite, balance of perfumed red fruit, acidity, and the signature cool chalky minerality of Provence (click here for more on this classic area for rosé).

The Commanderie gently coasts through soft ripe peach and raspberry notes before finishing cleanly with that delightful rosé gulpability that Eric Asimov described in his Provençal rosé write-up last week as "tremendously refreshing and intriguingly textured, compelling repeated trips back to the glass because it simply feels so good to drink." (Third place in Asimov's New York Times Provençal rosé war, by the way, was the same Commanderie's Chateau de Peyrassol rosé.)

While every region and every wine estate now seems to produce some kind of rosé, trying to cash in on the new "cool" of rosé, many of these other efforts taste like what they are: afterthoughts. Things to do with the grapes that don't fit anywhere else. Not so with Provence; not so with the Commanderie.

Provence is the spiritual birthplace of rosé; it's a genre of wine the region takes great pride in; a genre of wine the region takes very seriously.

Commanderie de Peyrassol has sat in the sun-drenched, backcountry hills of Provence in southeast France since 1204, when it was founded by the Knights of Templar as they sought to protect the Crusaders; their first vintage of winemaking was all the way back in 1256, and today wines are made by the Rigord family with natural techniques and extreme attention to maintaining a balanced ecosystem in this historic area.

The warm climate contributes perfect ripeness and depth, while the clay and limestone soil frames the area's wineswith that classic, zippy structure while sweeping a layer of fine-crushed white and gray minerals underneath it all. Something about the nearby Mediterranean is there, too, a breeze blowing by in the background and rifling through the area's olive groves, lavender fields and wild brush.

The 09 vintage takes all the bright sunshine and tempering winds of the region and pumps them into a rosé that just about paints a picture of the idyllic region. Maybe this is why we love drinking pink in the summer, a glass of something like this transporting us to the Côte d'Azur and a little beachfront café, snacking on just-caught seafood drizzled with local olive oil and sprinkled with herbes de Provence.

Hey, the Hamptons aren't too far away, and softshell crabs are in season right now. Pick up some fresh herbs at the farmer's market and schedule delivery of your case of Commanderie de Peyrassol rosé for later this week. It's still not the South of France, but you're getting close.

To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits




2009 Commanderie de Peyrassol Cotes de Provence Rosé

Commanderie is in stock!
NET | No further discount