Wine Of the Week:
CHÂTEAU STE. ANNE BANDOL ROSÉ 2014
$27.99
Both in the vineyards and in the cellar, Ste. Anne works as naturally as possible. Most of the best Bandol producers rely on ambient yeast to ferment their reds, but very few do so for their rosés (preferring to inoculate). But Ste. Anne does. It also, unusually, does not add sulfur to block the so-called malolactic fermentation, in which taut malic acid is transformed into softer lactic acid, adding a bit of sulfur only before bottling. Nonetheless, the rosés are gorgeous, fresh and long-aging. The 2014, available in June, is mostly mourvèdre, with a bit of cinsault and grenache, and is lovely, with mineral and licorice flavors that linger. (Zev Rovine Selections, Brooklyn)
