Summer is Rosé Time in Provence. Is 2024 a Good Vintage?

Now that summer is here, rosé wines will become even more interesting, but what about the rosé wine from Provence vintage 2024? Göran Boman, a wine expert and connoisseur of Provencal wines, recently wrote a post on his blog, “Is Provence Rosé Vintage 2024 Good?” More and more rosé is considered a wine that belongs in your glass all year, but for many, Summer is rosé time. Below are highlights from Göran’s article; for the complete text, including a list of vineyards, click here.

Weather Impacts

The weather in Provence in 2024 began with heavy rainfall in March, with a total of 262 mm recorded during the month. Therefore, the water reservoirs, both those underground and those in ponds, were filled. Overall, 2024 was a relatively rainy year. Unfortunately, late frosts came in mid-April and affected almost all of Provence, with only the coastal vineyards surviving thanks to the warmth from the Mediterranean. To make things even more difficult for the winegrower, hail, up to 3 cm in size, hit the inner parts of Var the hardest a month later, just during the sensitive flowering phase.

The Verdict

The Provençal rosé wine of vintage 2024 is delicious, boasting a fresh and aromatic aroma. Many wines have a good concentration and body, which means that the first taste impression is a feeling of fruity sweetness, even though the wine is completely dry. At the same time, the acidity level is suitable, allowing the wines to retain the freshness typical of Provence. Most wines also have a good and fresh aftertaste.

What We Tasted

We had an excellent opportunity to taste the 2024 vintage when Maison des Vins Côtes de Provence in Les Arcs held a rosé tasting earlier this spring. They selected fifteen wines, and we liked seven of these, which we took with us in the car to Sweden. Then we supplemented our selection in Provence with some wines that usually hold a good class, including another one from Château Rouët, one from Château Paquette, and two from Domaine Gavoty. Since these wines are not easily accessible outside of Provence, we also supplemented our selection with two wines from our Swedish Systembolag: Collavery from the cooperative Quatre Tours and the international mega-seller Minuty M.

Guide for Wine and Vineyards in Provence

Maison des Vins Côtes de Provence
DN7, 83460 Les Arcs
Open daily

Guest Writer:

Göran Boman, the author of The Wines of Provence – Tricolour, is based in Sweden, far from Provence’s vineyards. His studies at Stockholm’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology led to a career with large international companies. Before retiring, Göran monitored the quality of nuclear fuel transmitted from EDF France to Sweden.

About 25 years ago, he joined Munskänkarna (“Cup-bearers”) for wine tastings and education. The association is the world’s largest non-commercial wine-tasting group with 30,000 members, mainly in Sweden and Provence.

If you love Provencal wines, his book should be an essential reading for you. In his book, Göran Boman covers 58 wine producers and recommends 338 wines, not just rosé wines. Use the book as a guide to discovering these wines and their producers. His goal is to deepen your knowledge of everything worth knowing about the wines of Provence.

Guest Post