Description
Château Soucherie, “L’Astrée” Rosé
Today, we’re inviting everyone to take part in the ultimate rosé refresher course: Seeing as Provence dominates the French airwaves, I’m guessing it’s been some time since you’ve enjoyed a rosé from the Loire Valley. That’s why we took it upon ourselves to find one crafted to perfection, and this 2020 “L’Astree” is a deeply refreshing and mineral experience that delivers everything I want in pink wines.
In recent years, we’ve seen some classic rosé regions creeping towards a more extracted style, but the Loire Valley is one part of the world that still consistently delivers the refreshing goods. Because the cooler climate allows the wines to retain brilliant levels of tension and acidity, I’ve always enjoyed copious amounts of red and white from here—and now, the rosés are grabbing my attention with increasing frequency. That’s especially the case for those made from Gamay versus Cabernet Franc: In my humble opinion, when Loire Valley rosé from Gamay is done right, it blows Cab Franc out of the water. There are no hard/crunchy edges or herbaceous notes here, just pure berry fruit, delightful buoyancy, and a vibrant mineral note. We guarantee you’ll be reaching for this as frequently as its Provençal counterparts all summer long!
The stunning Château Soucherie property sits on sloping emerald-green hills above the Layon river, near the town of Angers. Best known for the production of Savennières as well as dry and sweet versions of Coteaux du Layon, the estate’s 36 hectares are largely planted to Chenin Blanc, but Cabernet Franc, Grolleau, and Gamay are also grown to produce Soucherie’s fresh and lively lineup of reds and rosés. Proprietor Roger Beguinot, who acquired the historic domaine in 2007, hired superstar winemaker Thibaud Boudignon right off the bat—a brilliant move, considering Boudignon’s off-the-charts popularity under his eponymous label. As Beguinot invested significantly in the extensive renovation of the vineyards and cellar, Bougidnon converted the vineyards to organic viticulture. Today, with winemaker Vianney des Tastes at the helm, Soucherie is still firing on all cylinders.
The Gamay fruit for L’Astrée comes from low-yielding vines with an average age of 35 years, grown on clay-schist soils in the Astrée lieu-dit. Vinification, much like farming, takes a minimalist approach at Soucherie; priority is reserved for varietal purity and respect for terroir. After direct pressing, the Gamay is fermented whole-cluster in stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation is blocked through temperature control, and the wine remains on its lees for six months in tank. It goes into bottle unfined after a light filtering with diatomaceous earth.
In the glass, L’Astrée is just ridiculously pleasant. Its pretty, pale salmon hue gleams with a faint streak of copper, giving way to a delicate, ethereal palate that’s so soft and inviting. Laser-focused wild strawberry, red cherry, pomegranate, watermelon, and red plum come together with a really appealing note of red apple skin in this dry and juicy rosé, while notes of violet and rose petal add intriguing perfume. There’s just a slight tang to the zippy acidic backbone with a racy streak of minerality that adds vivacious energy to this easygoing quaffer. Serve it any day of the week, chilled down to 45 degrees in your favorite all-purpose stems, and you really can’t go wrong. The bright, refreshing attributes in this rosé call out for a lively pairing like salad, fresh fruit, or chilled seafood dishes. You can also take it to the next level with oysters in a fruity, flavorful mignonette. Cheers!
