*I’m no wine critic but I am a wine enthusiast*

Lately I’ve been dipping my toe (or tongue) in the world of rosé wines.  You might recall I reviewed a splendid Horgelus Rosé recently and while on a trip to Paris I also tried out a few different rosé wines.  Given that my adventures in rosé have all been so positive it seemed sensible to continue the trend. So on a dull but warm Sunday I found myself tending to an extremely overgrown garden. About two hours in I was gasping for a drink and got a notion to grab the bottle from the fridge and wander the very short distance down to the beach and enjoy a glass.  To be clear it’s not knacker drinking (as someone said to me). If you bring a bottle and wine glasses and sit down to appreciate the surroundings its known as enjoying a drink alfresco (in my book).

Where is it from?

This rosé is from the Côtes de Gascogne wine growing district which is in the south-west of France.  The wines under the designation of Côtes de Gascogne are produced to a high standard and follow a strict set of rules. Chateau de Millet has been run for five generations by the Déche family who originally focused on Armagnac.  Over time of course the younger generations have taken over, diversified their offerings and expanded the wine portfolio, which includes this splendid rosé.

What is it like?

It is a blend of the Abouriou et Fer grape varieties, Egiodola (translates to blood-red) and some Cabernet Franc. It has a vibrant coral/peach colour and a very slight almost violet tinge to it when poured.  As you can see from the below picture there is also an enthusiastic effervescence when it hits the glass first.

It’s a relatively dry but light and crisp wine with red fruit flavours and aromas of strawberry and cherry.  Not overly acidic it would I suspect fair well with those who are new to rosé wines.  It was an extremely refreshing wine to drink and the perfect antidote to a humid day.

Domaine de Millet Rosé

What to pair it with & where to get it!

Rosé I’ve found can be a quite diverse wine in terms of what to pair it with. I’ve tried it with salads, with pizzas and with melon and prosciutto for example. There are no hard and fast rules with it. With this particular one, while sipping it I had in mind that it might be an ideal accompaniment to grilled/BBQ’d foods. You can pick up a bottle of the Domaine de Millet Rosé in the Arnotts branch of Wines Direct for about €11/12.

Domaine de Millet Rosé