The Reserve des Chastelles Tavel 2020 is an $8.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive Rosé wine sourced from vineyards in the Tavel AOC of the Rhone Valley in the south of France. The Tavel district is located across the river from the Chateauneuf-du-Pape region and is the only Rhone Valley AOC to produce Rosé wines.
This Rosé is made for Trader Joe’s by Vignobles & Companie a wine negociant business founded in 1963. They have a wide portfolio of wines including a Tavel Rosé which may or may not be related to the Reserve des Chastelles Tavel 2020.
Tavel is an unique Rosé wine. Rosé gets its pink color from limited skin contact with the skins of the Red grapes. Tavel wines routinely have 12 to 24 hours more time with the skins in contact with the juice. This gives Tavel a darker color and more tannins. Most Rosé wines have few tannins due to the limited exposure to the grape skins. Tavel Rosé has a tannin content more like Red wines.
The Reserve des Chastelles Tavel 2020 also has an alcohol content of 13.5% which is higher than a typical Rosé and again more like a Red wine. Trader Joe’s does not mention which grapes are in the blend, but in the Rhone Valley, the blends are mainly Grenache blended with Syrah, Cinsault, or Mourvedre. The blends that have Mourvedre added are called GSM blends.
Some producers can produce Tavel wines to be cellared and Tavel with its tannins and body from the higher alcohol content are very versatile when used for food pairings. The Rosé wine from Provence is a short distance away on the French southern coast and their popularity over shadows Tavel Rosé. But, a Rosé that has a long history and is something different from all the other Rosé wines is a wine to look forward to drinking.
The Reserve des Chastelles Tavel 2020 Tasting Notes
The color is a see-thru blend of amber, cherry, and orange. The nose is subtle, it is crisp and clean, with faint aromas of cherries, soft spice, toasted almonds, lemon, and blackberry. The Reserve des Chastelles Tavel 2020 is a medium-bodied Rosé that is spicy and with ripe fruit flavors.
This Tavel tastes like blackberry, a shot of baking spice, a salty/nutty sensation, and tangerine. The mid-palate brings faint blueberry and black cherry, along with harder-edged melon and strawberry. The tannins are mostly sweet and the acidity is well managed.
The Summary
- The Reserve des Chastelles Tavel 2020 is a Rosé well worth giving a try.
- I find that many value-priced Rosé wines are variations on a theme, kind of like you have tasted them somewhere before. This Rosé is different form the rest and is a tasty, interesting wine.
- If yoy are looking for something to pair withe the Easter ham this Tavel is well worth a look.
