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Bieler Pere et Fils - Rose Provence 2023
Bieler Pere et Fils Description
50% Grenache,20% Syrah,11% Cinsault,10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Rolle, 2% Ugni Blanc, 2% Clairette
It’s hard to imagine when we started making rosé in Aix in the early 2000’s, that we often struggled to ripen the fruit to the level we wanted. We had to consider de-acidifying because the acidity was so searing! These days most Provence wineries need to add lots of acid to get balance (not us at our high elevation spot). The 2023 vintage started off very dry but early spring brought some rain and humidity that was welcomed, but the timing of it did create some mildew challenges which reduced crop size a bit. The warm and dry conditions returned for summer as has been the case the last decade. The harvest started for us in the hills above Aix by mid-September (several weeks later than most in the lower elevation areas of Provence) and finished up late-October. We have been planting and grafting a lot within the last decade and we’re now being rewarded with a broader mix of varietals and percentages which is at the core of the ever-expanding flavor profile. Grenache and Syrah have always been at the core of the wine with Cinsault, Rolle and now Clairette coming on in recent years.
The classic Provence Rosé profile is what every serious winemaker around the world attempts to mimic and for good reason. Our goal is to find the delicate balance between floral, herbal, wild red fruit (not overly ripe), stone fruit and acid. Enticing aromatics of peach, white cherry and wild raspberry that are balanced by summer flowers, white tea and Provence herbs. These delicate flavors carry through to a creamy yet lifted palate that’s interwoven with rose petal and wet stones. We don’t want singular big flavors, we want more nuance, energy, soul and personality. To achieve that we don’t have a single approach to each fermentation. Instead, we break up each vineyard into parts using different yeasts, juice solids and lees treatments so each tank is a little different and brings a unique perspective in the final blend. We have been loving the results of circulating juice solids pre-fermentation to build depth and concentration. For a delicate, fresh wine like Rosé, oxygen contact can be crushing, so we have made investments in nitrogen coverage such that from the moment the fruit arrives it’s never exposed to oxygen again until it’s eventually poured from a bottle into your glass, resulting in a more vivid and precise expression of our Roséthan ever before. The wine is in no way heavy on the palate, but it has a tremendous silky length in addition to the ripe white peach, raspberry, cherry, herbal, orange blossom, sea salt and mineral core. We have been working with the same growers since 2005 and collaborate closely on every aspect. Over the years what we are planting and where has evolved significantly to make it a vineyard drivenrosé with depth, lift andcomplexity.
