Domaine Sainte Cécile du Parc Notes Frivoles 2011 (rosé) IGP Pays de Caux
by Paige Donner
Tasting Notes : Fresh and feisty. Raspberry pink beauty so reflective of true Southern France rosés. Bouquet tickles you with its strawberry hints, palate gives you a splash of ruby red grapefruit tempered with strawberry and citrus. Med. body, good acidity. 12.5% alc.
Price: € 6 (also avlble. in Magnum)
Production Notes : Grenache, Carignan, Cabernet Franc, in equal parts. Harvested at night, aged in stainless steel vats. Vinification is at low temps and wine is aged on the lees. Grapes are in the process of organic conversion.
Pair With : Good company. Also grilled meats, vegetables, salads; light, fresh cheeses such as chèvre with an olive tapenade. Serve lightly chilled at 4-6ºC
Sainte-Cécile was the patron saint of musicians, hence the names of the harmonious wines that flow forth from Domaine Sainte-Cécile-du-Parc are inspired by music – Notes Pures, Notes d’Orphée…
When Christine and Stéphane Mouton-Bertoli bought this Pézenas Estate back in 2005, it was with the intention to one day cultivate all organic vineyards. They are well-along that path, as they are the path to creating outstanding Languedoc wines.
Languedoc wines, from the S. of France, are very much in fashion now again after long-suffering under the shadow of their northern celebrity brothers and sisters. Pézenas, a beautiful little sea-side town just 20 minutes from Montpellier, still harbors vestiges of sea shells and sea fauna which are embedded in the estate’s terroir.
Estate Philosophy: “Committed practitioners of sustainable viticulture, we firmly believe that reasoned and reasonable (agriculture raisonnée) winegrowing practices are the only way to ensure that one day our children will be ale to work the land with as much pleasure as we do. Balanced soils, mechanical weeding, biological pest and disease control and patience, are all crucial elements to produce thoroughbred wines which reflect their origin.” – Christine and Stéphane Mouton-Bertoli
Domaine Sainte-Cécile-du-Parc is a 15 hectare estate, 13 ha. are high-density planted with vines (for reduced yields), the vineyards are fully irrigated, and the prestige cuvée’s are hand-harvested. There are also a few olive trees on the estate that lend their Mediterranean mystique.
When the husband-wife team bought the property, they inherited existing vines of Syrah, Sauvignon, Cinsault, Carignan and Cabernet-Sauvignon. They re-planted Cabernet-Franc, Merlot, Marselan and Grenache between ’06 and ’09. Hillside terraces are predominantly clay-limestone. The new cellar and winery was ready in time for 2011’s harvest – it’s of contemporary design. Indeed, the property the Mouton-Bertoli’s bought may date back to the Middle Ages, but the approach they take to their wines is altogether modern – this may be part of what factored into their wines being selected for WineFuture 2012 (Hong Kong and ViniSud) by the official AOC Languedoc selecting committee.
Stececileduparc.com
Chérie Du Vin 
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