Côtes de Provence Pétale de Rose 2025 Chateau La Tour de l'Evêque

The Côtes de Provence Pétale de Rose 2025 from Château La Tour de l'Évêque is a bottle laden with history and emotion, the rosé that invented them all. It was Régine Sumeire who, in 1985, created the first pale Provence rosé at Château Barbeyrolles, by experimenting with the direct pressing of whole Grenache through a Coquard Champagne press, the juice that flowed had an astonishingly pale colour and an unprecedented length on the palate. This founding gesture sparked a revolution in Provence rosés, one that the whole world imitates today. Forty years on, Pétale de Rose remains the original and the finest of its kind.

Terroir and the 2025 vintage

Château La Tour de l'Évêque is nestled in Pierrefeu-du-Var, in the valley of the Maurettes, less than 20 kilometres from the Mediterranean and about thirty from Saint-Tropez. This 89 hectare vineyard of one contiguous block rests on remarkable schistous soils, the phyllades of Hyères and red sandstone of the Permian, very ancient rocks whose friability and poverty naturally discipline the vines and concentrate the aromatic expression of the varieties. The 2025 vintage is marked by a striking contrast, soil recharged with water after a very wet autumn and winter favoured very early phenological development, budbreak beginning as early as 13 March. The last rains fall on 20 May, then heat sets in until harvest, which begins on 15 August, concentrating heat, ripeness and aromatic freshness in grapes of fine quality. The 2025 blend brings together seven complementary varieties, 49% Grenache, 36% Cinsault, 9% Mourvèdre, 3% Rolle and 3% Sémillon, each bringing its dimension to the aromatic palette of this exceptional rosé. The domaine has been certified organic since 2005, without herbicides or chemical products, with ploughing and biodynamic infusions to enliven the soils.

Tasting profile

The colour is petal of rose, pale, luminous and of remarkable delicacy, evoking the elegance of Provence immediately. The nose is airy, delicate and of remarkable finesse, notes of grapefruit and blood orange intertwine with the pleasure of pomegranate and nectarine, with light floral touches that bring subtlety and freshness. On the palate, the texture is tapestried and silky, with pulpy and satined flesh that impregnates the palate with vibrant softness. Structure is brought by nice spiced bitters, pomegranate seed, blood orange zest, which balance the rich pulp and give the wine a granular and zesty character of fine elegance. The finish is long, concentrated and salivating, with this rebound on the fruit that immediately calls for the next sip. Savory, fresh and of great digestibility, a Provence rosé in all the nobility of the term.

The domaine

Régine Sumeire ensures the continuity of a family endeavour rooted in Provençal tradition, her father taught her the gestures and care of the vine, himself trained by his grandfather, a transmission from generation to generation that has continued to this day with the same quality demands. Owner too of Château Barbeyrolles, near Saint-Tropez, she makes use of two neighbouring and complementary schist terroirs to produce wines that are both voluptuous and tense. The Bettane & Desseauve guide awards her 3 stars, hailing a strong-willed vigneronne who fights with good reason for the recognition of Provence's great wines. Vinification is by gravity, direct pressing without crushing in a Coquard Champagne hydraulic press, with alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in temperature-controlled inox tanks, and ageing on fine lees in tank.

Food pairings

This Pétale de Rose will pair beautifully with crabmeat in blood orange aspic, sea bream carpaccio with lime and ginger, quality sushi and makis, smoked salmon with fresh herbs, a tian of summer vegetables or a mango prawn salad. It will be equally delightful as an aperitif, served well chilled between 8 and 10°C, in the luminous and delicate spirit that has made the legend of this cuvée since 1985.