Mas de Valériole
"Vé" Rosé
The first time I heard a reference to the Camargue was in Monty Python's infamous ode to Arthurian Legend, the Quest for the Holy Grail. As you may recall (spoiler alert?) once the Holy Hand Grenade had been tossed and the rabbit destroyed (it was no ordinary rabbit) the brave knights ventured into the cave where they learned of the Castle Aaarrrrrgggh. Not knowing what or where this castle was, the learned warrior, Sir Bedivere, played unerringly by Terry Jones, mentioned that there was the "Camargue" and then proclaimed it to be "in France, I think."
And so it is. And god is it beautiful. I only experienced a little of it, really only a drive-by, but it reminded me...in a good way, of the Meadowlands. Yeah, where Jimmy Hoffa is buried. But you know...without the veranda consisting of piles of junk, auto and train thoroughfares, old rusted-out hulks of docks and barges, and Newarkopolis in the distance, not distanced enough.
The Camargue is a massive river delta, taking the flows of the Rhone and dispersing it amongst the flat areas leading to the Mediterranean. We saw flamingos wading in the pools. Beautiful trees. Agriculture everywhere.
While much of that is devoted to cereals...grains and the like...the wines coming from here are really excellent, owing to a climate that provides ideal conditions to not only ripen well, but to lessen the need or want for chemical manipulation. The Michel family, stewards the Mas de Valériole estate since the 50's, farm completely organically, and indeed are invested not just in vines but in the cereal and rice industries so frequently seen here in the Camargue.
They make several rose wines, and this is their fresh flagship. Caladoc, a rare but increasingly noted variety joins forces with Merlot to create a wonderful aperitif or match with a nice, robust leek salad or grilled meats. Time to stock up on your summer wines...this one is a no brainer!