My most recent wine find is a shamrock in a field of clovers. A crane among chickens. A redhead in a room full of blondes. It’s a piquant and powerful rosé from Tavel.
I’d heard about Tavel from wine geeks. But I’d never had the opportunity to taste one because unlike Côtes-du-Rhône and Provence rosés it’s not exported in large quantities. (Yeah…turns out there’s a reason the French like to bogart all the Tavel.)
Since this is my first Tavel, dear reader, you also get my study notes (please indulge me). Tavel is a rosé-only appellation in the Southern Rhône, just north of Avignon. It’s surrounded by red wine districts, including the famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape which is located right across the river.
Tavel is always blended and growers are not permitted to devote more than 60% of their vineyards to any single grape. The main grape is ripe, heavily extracted Grenache–this is Grenache country, after all. Cinsault is generally the main blending partner. Syrah and Mourvedre are used in small quantities to pump up the color, tannin, and spice.
These moderately priced, food-loving blends are extremely popular with chefs and diners of Southern France. (The Provence Wine Zine reported in 2017 that only 25% of Tavel is exported, making it a pain to locate even in well-supplied U.S. markets.)
It’s usually an early-drinking wine–although unusual for a rosé, the best are considered cellar-worthy. When yields are controlled and maceration times are extended, Tavel can age for 8-10 years or longer.
My bottle of Tavel was a Wednesday-night treat that poured a deep salmon color. The nose is all concentrated red berries–strawberry, raspberry, and redcurrant–laced with vegetal notes of watermelon and rhubarb. Citrus flavors of grapefruit peel and blood orange pulp accompany persistent acidity. Not a hint of age on this 2020 bottle, except for the color (and perhaps the complexity).
Lavau Tavel is medium-full bodied with enough tannic structure that you can almost forget you’re drinking a rosé. As you sip it, the fruit gives way to savory-leaning flavors–white pepper, thyme/sage, and lip-smacking minerality. It finishes a touch hot, but with a rosewater fragrance that partners well with the berries and garden herbs.
I drank mine as a snack with strawberries and blue cheese. But the beauty of these types of substantial rosés is that they pair well with practically anything. Rosé with a veggie and goat cheese omelet? Sure! Rosé with a tuna sandwich? Why not? Rosé with steak? Let’s gooooooo!
In short, this is no blushing and insipid Grenache water. It’s nuanced, vibrant, and toothsome–a pink wine that drinks like a red. Lavau Tavel is made from (average) 30-year-old vines of Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah which are grown on three distinct terroirs within Tavel AOC. The grapes are night-harvested, vinified separately in stainless steel, and blended prior to further stainless-steel aging.
The 2021 Tavel vintage appears to be mostly sold out but the 2023 is now available. Maison Lavau also makes a rosé under the generic Côtes-du-Rhône appellation. That wine is blended in the same proportions as their Tavel and retails for around $10.99.
Bottle: Lavau Tavel Rosé (2020)
Variety: Grenache (50%), Cinsault (45%), Syrah (5%)
ABV: 13%
Suggested retail: $18.99
My rating: 8.2 (out of 10)
Further reading:
Provence Wine Zine: It’s Time to Rediscover the Rosé Beloved by Kings, Popes, and Writers: Meet Tavel
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
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