Today, Jean Francois and Christian Ott are at the helm of Provence's flagship winery. Both are descendants of founder Marcel Ott and learned their craft from the master. Using modern techniques and time-honored traditions, they now craft the very best rosé wines. The winery now has three estates: Château de Selle in Taradeau, Clos Mireille in La Londe Les Maures, and Château Romassan in Le Castellet, each with its own distinct terroir. This Cuvée Etoile is a blend of grapes from the very best bunches of the three estates, using only Grenache and Mourvèdre grapes. During the growing season, the winemaking team works tirelessly to make the bunches shine like golden vases, as the harvest is truly a spectacle in itself.
This rosé is extremely rare, as the yield is very limited. This makes it the rarest rosé from Provence. Each vineyard at the various chateaux contributes to the overall quality of this Ott Etoile rosé. Clos Mireille, for example, lends a deep terroir to this wine, while Château Romassan provides strength and finesse, and Château de Selle provides freshness and fruitiness. Once ripe, the grapes are harvested entirely by hand, early in the morning. Only the finest bunches are selected from the finest slopes of the chateaux. Initially, all three vineyards are vinified separately, after which the final blend is determined. It's a precise job, but leave that to the Ott family.
Unparalleled finesse is how we described the first impression of this Etoile rosé. Upon opening the bottle, we already smell the French sun, abundant rose, currant, and some floral notes. Don't serve this Domaines Ott Etoile rosé too cold, as this will suppress the beautiful flavors. We recommend drinking this Domaines Ott Rosé Cuvée Etoile at around 10 or 11 degrees Celsius. This will reveal all the wonderful characteristics of this top rosé. The color is, of course, typical of Provence, a salmon pink with an orange shimmer. Nosing the glass, we noted notes of fresh rose petals, grapefruit, lavender, vanilla, and a touch of white peach. On the palate, it's a sensation—truly the most beautiful rosé we've ever tasted. The powerful flavor offers nuances of fresh red fruit, lime peel, grapefruit, fresh white peaches, and, of course, some light spice. What finesse and ripe flavors, yes it really is a beautiful wine, too bad there are so few bottles of it.
