It's indisputable, Provence is the homeland of rosé. Consider this: 157 million AOC bottles produced in 2022, which is 38% of the national production and 4.2% of the world's rosé wines. Who can beat that? No one. That said, it's not surprising since 90% of the production is dedicated to it. But still, kudos for this incredible economic dynamism, which goes beyond our borders: a +500% increase over 15 years in export markets!
However, because there's always a "however", we are in France. And in France, when something succeeds, there's always a hitch. Our media loves that. It's always the same tune: people are not drinking good rosé (36 million bottles of lesser quality still, that's a lot). Moreover, it's expensive for its quality. Not to mention that it's always the same wine, leading to the notion that there's no terroir in rosé. To be honest, it's so easy to produce that it's not much of a hassle in Cézanne's land. Enough with the nonsense. It's more complex than that. And to grasp this complexity, you need to consider everything and stop seeing wine only through the bottles that appeal to us.
Every wine-producing region in France and the world that has gained a certain reputation faces this dual demand for masstige* and premium products. The main challenge in this case is to achieve an upgrade in both volume and niche markets. This dual upgrade can only be achieved by relying on technical advancements, valuation tools, and a clear offering. On this point, Provence has stepped up. Contrary to what pink-color purists might think, the average quality of rosé wines sold in large volumes has clearly increased over the past decade. The same goes for high-end rosés. Criticizing a product intended for the mass market for not having the characteristics of a high-end product is, at best, a tautology, and at worst, an admission of incompetence.
Regarding price, the trial made against Provence can be made against all wine regions in the world that have gained international visibility. It's a side effect, more or less contained, where everyone is free to position their offer. With 36 million consumers in France (a market known to be demanding about prices), it seems that Provence still has some margin... And what exactly is an expensive rosé anyway? 5, 10, 15, 20, 50 euros? Which rosé are we talking about? For which budget? Producing rosé is not expensive... So what? The fact that some rosés have better value for money than others is a non-issue: in which wine region of the world is this not a concern? It's the same perennial issue that eventually tires us out.
As for the "it's always the same wine", that's reassuring! At the very least, if it's the primary buying criterion for the consumer. Not everyone is looking for a 100% Tibouren or an amphora vinification without sulfites. Some buy the AOP, others a domain name, a certification, or a recommendation, for which the critic is typically responsible. For that, he must be able to identify "what was done (what type of wine?), how it was done (what aesthetic and technical choices?) and does it work (good wine in its category?)" to quote the beautiful definition of a good literary critic by the writer Sophie Divry. Expressing one's feelings, sometimes dismissively about wines one doesn't like, is not criticism; it's a matter of taste, and it interests no one other than oneself.
Let's not forget the terroir in this story, time and again, to finish off this undermining work by self-proclaimed elites: you can make Provence rosé everywhere; it's not a terroir wine! Amazing! Is this not true for wines from other regions perhaps? By always tasting the top of the pyramid, we too quickly forget the broad base of wines, which would be hard to recognize in terms of origin, if not the grape variety. Let's stop kidding ourselves and accept the ambivalence of our French AOP vineyards. It's not a flaw, quite the opposite.
Finally, the best for last. Rosé "is easy to make." It's well known. And that's why all rosés are delicious, right? Let's not waste time on this point. The best approach is to get closer to the real players in the region to understand all its intricacies. For this, we offer interviews with Brice Eymard, General Manager of CIVP, and Olivier Colombano, Director of Vins de Bandol, followed by an in-depth tasting of 6 Provençal estates** at the peak of their craft and terroir (humor intended). We couldn't talk about rosé without mentioning other vineyards, with a regional color palette deliberately eclectic. Finally, because at La Tulipe Rouge we are interested in all categories of wines, because it's our job as critics to appreciate all shades of rosé, we invite you to discover the 2024 ranking of wines from Provence**, but also from other regions, already online since July. There's an icon "Tchin" (Cheers), "Encore" (One more), or "Tulipe" (the Graal) to tell you "what was done", then a comment to explain "how it was done", and finally a score, out of 100, that tells you "if it works". Happy reading.
Olivier Borneuf, La Tulipe Rouge
*masstige" is a term that combines "mass market" and "prestige", referring to brands that are positioned between the mass market and luxury market.
**Bandol and Les Baux de Provence wines are obviously included in the selection.