The idyllic seaside town of Cassis is justly celebrated as a vacation destination, but its wines are arguably the most finesse-driven examples of Provence rosé in the entire region; however, with only ten producers overall, the appellation is hugely underappreciated. No producer expresses the salt-kissed limestone-driven beauty of this terroir like Domaine du Bagnol, and the current generation Sébastien Genovesi has steered operations toward the fully organic (certified since 2014), crafting a rosé of scintillating energy, chiseled calcareous musculature, and gleaming red fruits. Comprising 45% Grenache, 35% Cinsault, and 20% Mourvèdre, Bagnol’s Cassis Rosé is pressed directly and rapidly (in under two hours) to extract as little color as possible, and less than 10 milligrams per liter of sulfur are added to the wine—a factor which contributes to its gorgeous purity of texture and intense evocation of limestone. The hugely successful 2024 Cassis Rosé—the product of a growing season with slightly higher humidity and rain than in recent years but nothing troublesome—offers lower alcohol (13% versus 2023’s 13.5%) and greater dynamism than we’ve seen here in some years.
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