Alain Jaume Tavel Rose Le Cretace 2019

Alain Jaume Tavel Rose Le Cretace is made from 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre

Rosé de saignée (bleed technique) with a vibrant ruby color, complex and elegant, notes of crushed strawberries and rose petals.

Tavel Le Cretace Rose gives up vibrant wild strawberry, watermelon, crushed flowers and hints of spice to go with a medium-bodied, layered and seamless profile on the palate. A classic rose from this appellation, enjoy this beauty with food over the coming year or two.

 Pair with roasted and/or spicy Turkey, sushi, seafood and grilled fish, asian food.

Review:

"This impeccably run estate makes great wines from throughout the Rhône Valley, and their rosés are always terrific. The 2019 Tavel Le Crétacé has a complex bouquet of wild strawberries, cherry blossoms, and spring flowers. This carries to a medium-bodied Tavel that has terrific overall balance, a clean, refreshing texture, and a crisp finish. It’s a richer, balanced, dry rosé geared for the dinner table. I’d be happy to have it on my table any time over the coming 6-12 months."

- Jeb Dunnuck (March 2020), 91 pts

- Wine Enthusiast (September 2020), 91 pts

"Lean and focused, the Le Crétacé rosé from Tavel reveals pomegranate and red cherry skin on the nose. Distinctly dry on the palate with a firm acidic backbone, pure flavors, and a lingering finish. A superb pairing with roast salmon. A blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre made saignée method with no malo. 14.5% alc"

- International Wine Review (May 2020), 91 pts

"Brilliant orange-pink. Mineral- and spice-inflected raspberry and blood orange aromas are complemented by a suave lavender nuance. Smooth and focused on the palate, offering concentrated red berry and citrus fruit flavors braced by a spine of juicy acidity. Shows excellent tenacity on the mineral-tinged finish, which leaves a hint of candied flowers behind. All stainless steel. - Josh Raynolds" - Antonio Galloni's Vinous (June 2020), 91 pts

The Alain Jaume Winery

Established in 1826 in the Northern part of Chateauneuf du Pape, the Alain Jaume Winery boasts both the exceptional terroir of the Southern Rhone Valley and a long line of dedicated winemakers. Alain Jaume works in accordance with certified organic agricultural practices for both the Grand Veneur and Clos de Sixte vineyards. They strive to let the true terrior be expressed in their wines.

The principal winemaker is Alain Jaume. His sons Sebastien and Christophe are both heavily involved with the winery in sales and marketing and winemaking respectively. The Alain Jaume winery consists of 40 acres in Chateauneuf du Pape, 50 acres in Lirac, and 75 acres of Cotes du Rhone vines. The family produces wines under two labels: Domaine Grand Veneur and Alain Jaume.

In 1320 Pope Jean XXII planted the first vines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but it was only in 1360 that the wines of the region first gained fame.  Oddly, the wine that gave Chateauneuf-du-Pape its original reputation was the White and not the Red.  The white wine was a favorite of Pope Innocent VI.  The Domaine dates back to 1826, having been founded at that time by Mathieu Jaume.  Since 1979, Alain Jaume has run the Domaine and now has the help of his two sons:  Sebastien and Christophe. 
"Popes throughout history have liked their juice, and when the papal see moved to Avignon in the 13th century, that juice was Chateauneuf-du-Pape ("the pope's new castle") made from grapes grown nearby in the Southern Rhône. The castle is a ruin now, the papal court long gone back to Rome, but the wines that bear the pope's coat of arms emblazoned on the bottle are still produced more or less according to the long-standing recipe. Not every winemaker uses all 13 of the grapes in the proscribed blend, though. At Domaine Grand Veneur, an estate that dates to 1826, Alain Jaume and his sons Sebastien and Christophe emphasize Grenache blended with Syrah and Mourvèdre."
- Los Angeles Times

"Improved Chateauneuf with very accomplished, stylish reds since the late 1990s; also very good Vacqueyras and Cotes-du-Rhône Villages." - Anthony Dias Blue's pocket guide to wine 2006

"Grand Veneur is one of the most brilliant estates in Chateauneuf du Pape as well as the force behind the negociant wines sold under the Alain Jaume label. Virtually everything they produce has merit. Some of this estate’s 2009 red wines are just hitting the market as they are bottled early to preserve their fruit and freshness. I can’t say enough about the job Alain Jaume’s two sons, Sebastian and Christophe, have done with this estate. The impeccable attention to detail in the vineyards, the meticulous vinification, and the careful bottling benefit every consumer." - Wine Advocate (#190, August 2010)

"Great bargains continue to emerge from Domaine Grand Veneur as well as from their negociant arm of the business, labeled Alain Jaume" - Wine Advocate (#195, June 2011)

"One of the best-run and highest quality estates of the Southern Rhone is Domaine Grand Veneur, now run by the younger generation of the Jaume family, Sebastien and Christophe. The brothers have done a fabulous job taking over for their quality-oriented father, Alain. These are their less expensive wines, but I will follow up later this year with my reviews of their 2010 Chateauneuf du Papes as well as the 2011s, which I have not yet tasted. They have certainly gotten a good start on their 2011 less expensive Cotes du Rhone selections. The Jaumes are some of the finest practitioners of white winemaking in the Southern Rhone and showcase that with their least expensive offerings, which are creative blends that over-deliver." - Wine Advocate (Issue #201, June 2012)

Some wines by Alain Jaume Winery:

• Alain Jaume, Ventoux, Les Gelinottes
• Alain Jaume, Côtes du Rhône Rouge, Haut de Brun
• Alain Jaume, Côtes du Rhône Villages, Rasteau, Les Valats
• Alain Jaume, Vacqueyras, Grande Garrigue
• Alain Jaume, Gigondas "Terrasses de Montmirail"
• Alain Jaume, Lirac Roquedon
• Alain Jaume, Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Vieux Terron

Any Alain Jaume wines we have in stock are listed below, if you don’t see the wine you are looking for please don’t hesitate to ask for it.