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Léoube reveals 2023 vintage rosés

17 April 2024 By Michael Huband

Winemaker Romain Ott guided db through a range built on “adaptation, rather than dramatic change” at a London tasting of 2023 Léoube rosés.

Léoube has revealed its 2023 rosé wines, offering the London trade a chance to taste the new vintages of Love by Léoube, Château Léoube and Secret de Léoube rosés.

Romain Ott, winemaker at the estate since it was purchased by the British Bamford family in 1997, described the vintage as “challenging” in a notably dry year. However, he praised the wines as well rounded and already open despite the tough conditions.

“The harvest date was really important in 2023” he explained. “When it’s dry, the situation can change very quickly. You have to be very reactive.” According to the winemaker, the conditions meant grapes had to be picked quickly at their optimal condition.

The three wines continue the subtle evolution of the company’s winemaking, which has focused on local varieties, expressive of the terroir, intended for a range of consumers. Although an imperfect vintage for harvesting, Ott believes the wines have maintained the consistent estate style, providing a recognisable vintage for its fans.

As an entry point into the range, the Love by Léoube Rosé retails in the UK in supermarkets Tesco and Marks & Spencer. A blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cabernet Sauvignon, Ott described the wine as a crowd-pleaser defined by a simple question: “Do I want to drink some more, or not?”

The Château de Léoube Rosé continues with the same blend in an expression designed to be more mineral and elegant in character.

To complete the trio of new releases, the Secret de Léoube Rosé blends Cinsault, Grenache and a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in a pale rosé, close to onion skin in colour. Ott spoke unapologetically of the paler, more delicate and floral style he sought: “It is quite a white style: they are white wines made from red grapes.”

The trio will be joined in October by the Collector de Léoube Rosé 2023, the limited release that ages longest of the rosé range. Made from just a plot each of Grenache and Cinsault, the top wine uses free-run juice, intended to give a fine expression of delicate Provence rosé.

Considering the range as a whole, Ott emphasised his central philosophy of poised wines. “Each wine is an ensemble. If there is one word for the wines, it is balance.”

Turning to the estate’s future, Ott considers sustainability as still central to its mission. The team has seen the effects of climate change first hand, both in changing conditions for grape growing and in 2017 wildfires that narrowly missed the vineyards. However, the current plans hinge on a detailed approach to sustainability rather than dramatic changes.

A long-term advocate of sustainable viticulture, Léoube achieved organic certification in 2012 and High Environmental Value certification in 2020. However, current plans are focused on adaptations such as changing pruning regimens and an increased focus on soil preparation.

“We are not focused on a specific certification right now. We want to be focused on quality and to be flexible, picking what works for where we are,” explained Ott.

“The focus is on adaptation rather than dramatic change. For the moment, I am confident that will be enough.”

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