Founded in 2005, Coeur Clémentine is the result of the decades-long friendship of its founders, Steve Veytia and Pierre Arosteguy, and their shared passion for the wines of Provence, and in particular, rosé. Steve, a native of St. Helena, California, and Pierre, the 5th generation owner of the oldest family-run epicerie in France, Maison Arosteguy in Biarritz, launched their first vintage in 2008.

Clémentine produces only a single still wine (this rosé), sourced from organically managed, chalky-clay parcels in the heart of the Côtes de Provence, on what many believe to be the best soil in the region, called “The Golden Triangle”. The Golden Triangle contains the villages of Puget-Ville, Pierrefeu and Cuers, and its fruit is highly sought after.

We probably didn’t really need another French rosé on our books—but this one was simply too damn seductive to refuse.

Jean Christophe Audéoud looks after the winemaking which uses the traditional direct press method and maturation in both concrete and stainless steel. The wine is made at the 100- year-old Cellier Saint Sidoine in Puget-Ville (roughly halfway between Bandol and Saint Tropez).

The Coeur Clémentine rosé is assembled from Grenache, Cinsault, Tibouren (a Provençal rarity which brings aromas of garrigue, the herby scrub of southern France), and a small splash of Syrah. It’s a dainty, soft pink colour with tantalising raspberry fruit and woody herb aromas, accented by a racy freshness cutting a swathe through its silky and open-knit texture. Firm, crisp and balanced, it finishes dry and tangy with white pepper and floral notes and lovely length. Yet for all this, it’s a wine of joy. A wine of pleasure. A wine for drinking rather than thinking.