Ben says
★ Good Wine “Pale salmon with petal pink hues. Aromas of lemon, raspberry, asparagus and pink lady apple. Silky smooth with strawberry rolled in pepper, lemon and apple. Very easy to drink.”
KEY POINTS
45% Cinsault, 40% Grenache, 10% Caladoc, and 5% Syrah blend from the Languedoc named after the legend of Sophie Valrose (more on that below). Grapes are grown on various sites in Languedoc-Roussillon, made up of old volcanic soils composed mainly of schist. Fermentation is in stainless steel vats. This was one of the first ever wines I reviewed in 2015 and it’s lovely to taste this new vintage again in 2022. Alcohol is 12.5% abv.
Grown in: Coteaux de Béziers IGP, Languedoc, FRANCE.
Food Pairing
The roundness from the Grenache variety makes it a nice pairing with oily fish like poached salmon. Syrah and Cinsault add a mix of pepperiness and juicy tartness to the wine that means it wouldn’t be lost against spice, as long as it’s used sparingly.
Disclosure & Price
Purchased while on special offer at Waitrose for £6.99, normally £9.99. (Find on wine-searcher.com here).
Reviewed and tasted: 20 June 2022
About the Producer
Bijou Wine is a large, award-winning wine producer from Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon. Its flagship wine, Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose Rosé takes its name from a lady who worked on the Languedoc vineyards during the 19th Century. At the time, women mainly worked the vineyards, doing the pruning and harvesting. They were mistreated, over-worked and underpaid. Sophie fought against this and for women in the area, becoming a local hero. Bijou is a tribute to her memory.
