François Chidaine Touraine Rosé 2022

Chidaine’s juicy, full-flavoured dry rosé is predominantly Grolleau (70%), with the remainder Pinot Noir and Gamay. As with the Sauvignon above, the vines are rooted in the flint, clay and limestone soils of the Cher Valley between Tours and Orléans. Chidaine has little interest in copying the pale (or pallid?) Côtes de Provence model, so here the grapes are picked ripe and undergo a fair measure of skin contact before pressing and aging on lees in stainless steel. It’s a fleshy and refreshing rosé with waves of herb-infused red berries underpinned by some earthy-mineral notes from the Grolleau and the subtle textural grip that makes this such a great, food-orientated rose. Another bargain from one of France’s most revered winegrowers.