Guillaume Demoulin is the fourth generation of his family to farm the beautiful vineyards of Château de Trinquevedel. His great-grandfather, Eugène, bought the eighteenth-century château in 1936—an opportune decision that coincided with the establishment of Tavel’s A.O.C that same year. However timely, the vineyards were in terrible disrepair, and Eugène had an enormous task ahead. By 1960, the grapes were finally producing wine worthy of the Demoulin’s own bottlings, and the château had at last been restored to its former glory. Louis XIV was among the first to sing the praises of Tavel’s delicious and memorable rosés, which only stands to reason given the appellation’s grand cru reputation today. Tavel is the only A.O.C. entirely made up of rosé, which prohibits any whites or reds from wearing the label of this Southern Rhône cru. No more than sixty percent of the final blend can be made up of the noble Grenache. In other appellations where rosé is made, it is often regarded as an afterthought— most of the grapes are frequently sourced from lesser parcels, as the lighter maceration of the grapes is seen as “wasting” precious juice. In Tavel, even the best parcels may contribute to the blend, yet another aspect that makes this cru so special.
Guillaume, with the help of his wife, Céline, farms thirty-two hectares of vines that are situated in the hills of the Montagne Noire (Black Mountain). Their stony vineyards resemble those of the famous Châteauneuf, comprised of sand and quartzite galets roulés (rounded stones). The climate and sun exposure produce grapes with tremendous concentration and power. To counteract this power and higher alcohols that are typical of the appellation, the Demoulins perform a bleeding off of the free-run juices, followed by a light pressing, and a very balanced extraction. Guillaume believes in taking all measures necessary to preserve the natural pressing of the grapes. The rosés of Château de Trinquevedel consistently enjoy aromas of ripe, red berries with notes of the ubiquitous spicy, garrigue.
The 2012 Château de Trinquevedal Tavel (56% grenache, 20% cinsault, 10% clairette, 4% syrah, 4% bourboulenc, 3% grenache blanc and 3% mourvedre) is a beauty. The wine displays a deep, bright coral pink color as well as pungent cherry and kirsch scents which are brightened by subtle notes of pink grapefruit and white flowers. Fleshy and broad, this wine shows good density to its mineral-accented bitter cherry and berry skin flavors. The floral note comes back on the finish, which boasts excellent tenacity and bright mineral lift. Try this with your traditional turkey and you will be very pleasantly surprised as to how well it seems to work with the broad variety of flavors that confront the palate.
$18.99/btl or $193.70 per case ($16.14)