Tavel is an appellation of the southern Rhone, unique in its specialization in dry rose wines. The vineyards which produce the appellation's wines are located around the town of Tavel, just south-west of Orange and north-west of Avignon.
The soils here are mostly stony and sandy, and boast excellent drainage qualities, which force the vines to dig deep, strong root systems in search of water and nutriment. There are areas of limestone around Tavel, which generate the lighter, more delicate element of the otherwise robust roses, and patches of red, iron-rich soils, which fill out the palate with richer, earthier notes.
A hot, dry Mediterranean climate means that the grapes have no difficulty in reaching full phenolic ripeness here. It is this which brings the unique depth of flavor to the resulting wines, coupled with the extended skin contact used during fermentation. By being soaked with their skins, the juice of the red grapes takes on the deep pink color and higher tannin levels characteristic of AOC Tavel wines.
The wines are made predominantly from the Grenache, Syrah and Clairette varieties, and are intended to be drunk chilled, as a more complex alternative to white wines during the hot summer months. Much of the wine is released as 'Primeur' wine, as early as the third Thursday in November - a date imposed by appellation laws across France, and applied more famously to the Beaujolais Nouveau. These wines in particular are consumed chilled, and are not suitable for ageing. Cellared correctly, standard Tavel rose will improve for several years in the bottle.
The popularity and renown of these roses has led to expansions in the space devoted to its production, and sometimes inordinate price increases. Popularity for the wine style reached its peak in the middle of the twentieth century, and is increasing again in the early years of the new millennium.
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