Chase launches Provence rosé

Chase Distillery in Herefordshire has released its first wine onto the market in the form of a Provençal rosé.

Williams Chase Rosé 2013

The wine hails from Château Constantin close to the village of Lourmarin in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, which distillery owner William Chase snapped up with his wife Kate two years ago.

The 20-hecatare site is planted with vines dating back to the ‘60s, with the grapes going into the wine undergoing a 24-hour cold maceration and several months of lees ageing.

Williams Chase Rosé 2013 is a blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% Rousanne.

“Focusing on the wine market takes us into the next chapter of Chase. As a farmer I get to watch over the process from seed to bottle, ensuring that the taste of the wine speaks for itself,” Chase told db.

According to its makers, the salmon pink rosé boasts: “aromas of white peach, combined with a steely minerality drawn together with a well directed length on the palate.”

“Picked in early September, missing the heavy rain that occurred during the late harvest period, the grapes avoided any rot, resulting in perfectly balanced levels of acidity,” Chase told db.

“The growth of Provençal rosé in the UK is phenomenal and we’ve come in with a fine wine that not only tastes incredible, but looks beautiful,” he added.

The second vintage of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s Provençal rosé, Miraval 2013, went on sale in the UK in February through Berry Bros & Rudd.

Last March, the first 6,000 bottles of Miraval Rosé 2012 were snapped up within five hours of going on sale.

Housed in Chase’s signature bottle shape and closed with a glass stopper, the 13% abv Williams Chase Rosé 2013 went on sale at Harvey Nichols this week priced at £13.50 a bottle.