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The vineyards of the 45-hectare Domaine la Suffrene are spread over the communes of La Cadiere-d’Azur and Castellet in the Provencal appellation of Bandol. The estate is run by Cedric Gravier and although the first estate-bottled wines were released only in 1996, the domaine is now one of the leading producers of the region. This silky rose is a blend of hand-harvested Mourvedre, Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan and is particularly well suited to seafood and salads. Try as a summer aperitif also.

A gorgeous salmon-pink in colour with orange tints. On the nose, floral and ripe with hints of peach and strawberry. On the palate, soft and dry with a mineral acidity leading to flavours of fraises des bois, canteloupe melon and citrus fruits. The finish is honeyed and lingering. Try as an aperitif with green olive crostini. Alternatively, serve with pasta with sea urchin and clams or grilled Thai shrimp with blackened scallops.

The Bandol area is one of the most famous parts of Provence, and also one of the oldest for wine production. It owes its reputation to a very favourable microclimate, and to its king grape variety “Le Mourvedre”. Mourvedre is tannic and deep in colour, and so needs to be dealt with carefully when producing a Rosé.

La Suffrene work meticulously in their vineyards to maintain low yields, which means they end up with concentrated and exceptional quality fruit. A lot of the work is heavy manual labour, but which produces the wines that La Suffrene are proud of. This Rosé is distinguished in these parts, and displays great purity of fruit mixed with a spicy, earthy character.