Cote Mas Rose

Cote Mas Rosé is a dry-style pink wine from the Languedoc in southern France, bottled at 12.5% ABV. The producer's own description points to a balance of fruit and acidity, which is the signature of this region's rosés. Languedoc pinks are usually built from grapes such as Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault, so expect red-berry fruit like strawberry and raspberry, perhaps a touch of citrus peel or melon, and a light, crisp body with no perceptible tannin or oak. The finish in this style is typically clean and fairly short, which keeps the wine refreshing rather than heavy. That brightness makes it a flexible table wine. Pour it with salads niçoise, grilled prawns, charcuterie, tomato tarts or ratatouille, where the acidity cuts through olive oil and the berry notes echo the vegetables. It also handles lightly spiced dishes, such as mild curries or Moroccan-style chicken with preserved lemon, better than many reds or oaked whites would. Soft goat's cheese and fresh mozzarella are easy matches too. Its modest alcohol level means it won't overpower delicate seafood or raw vegetables. Serve it well chilled, around 8 to 10°C, which is roughly three hours in the refrigerator or thirty minutes in an ice bucket. Colder than that and the fruit mutes; much warmer and the acidity can feel loose. No decanting is needed. Open it, pour it, and keep the bottle on ice between glasses. A standard white wine glass with a slightly tapered rim works well, since it concentrates the delicate aromas without letting the wine warm too quickly in the hand. This is a bottle for drinking young. Rosé of this kind is made to be enjoyed within a year or two of its vintage, while the fruit is still fresh, and it is not built for cellaring. If you have a bottle that has been sitting for several years, expect the vivid berry character to have faded. Keep it somewhere cool and dark until you are ready to chill it, and finish it within a day or two of opening, re-corked and refrigerated, for the best flavour.