By Diana Rice



Château Coussin Ste.-Victoire Rosé, 2009
Available at Bedford Wine Merchants
Retail price: around $19.99

It wasn’t an accident that Paul Cézanne chose to spend more than 20 of his most productive years painting the landscapes in and around Mont Ste.-Victoire, in Provence. With charming pink stone walls and tiled farmhouse roofs, and glorious Southern sun that seems to bathe Ste.-Victoire in rich ocher tones, this particular location has inspired and intrigued artists and visitors alike for centuries. The vineyards in the region also do well: the combination of the mountain’s microclimate and its unique red clay and limestone soil, as well as that exceptional sunshine, encourages the grapes to ripen and express their full arsenal of flavors. These are simply nature’s gift to les vignerons provençaux.

A marvelous example of what an AOC Côtes de Provence Ste.-Victoire rosé can be is the 2009 Château Coussin. Lively and fresh, a bit chalky, dry and ultrapale, it is precisely what many are hoping for from a Provençal rosé. During these precious summer months, when we find ourselves lingering with a glass of wine under the stars, on a beach or even on a boat, a chilled rosé is often the perfect wine for the perfect summer moment.

To the eye, Château Coussin is an elegant and crystalline pink. If its exact color were a gemstone, we’d all be coveting the earrings and matching necklace! The nose shows a mélange of berries—strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and even cranberries. The texture is full but not too rich, substantial without being heavy. The blend is 80 percent grenache, 10 percent cinsault and 10 percent Syrah—les cépages traditionnels provençaux.

According to the importer, T. Edwards Wines, Château Coussin, which has been owned by the Sumeire family for many generations, is the largest family-run eco-certified (organic) property in Provence. Sans chemical weed killers or fertilizers, the consumer is enjoying a more natural product of the land.

Fortunately for all of us, whether on canvas or in the glass, both Cézanne and the Sumeire family found a way to express Provence with style and savoir faire.

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