Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food

Rhapsody en Bleu

Winery: Domaine de l’Abbaye
Cuvée: Clos Beylesse
Appellation: Côtes de Provence
Type: Rosé
Vintage: 2020
Grape Varieties: 60% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 10% Cinsault
Alcohol: 12%
Average Retail Price: U.S. $27.00-$32.00

Five months ago, I wrote about a rosé bottled in green glass, and how that was — and still is — unusual for a rosé. Today’s wine, to take this one step further, is bottled in blue glass. The colored glass provides an ultraviolet filter to preserve the wine’s quality as long as possible. I’m glad for this blue glass, as the wine is quite wonderful.

And I’m back to scallops again, folks — I just love them and they pair so beautifully with Provence rosés. This week’s recipe is for seared scallops served on a bed of saffron carrot ribbons, drizzled with a tarragon beurre blanc. Just delicious and a stunning pairing with this month’s rosé. You can find the recipe on Cocoa & Lavender.

And this month’s rosé is a 2020 Clos Beylesse from Domaine de l’Abbaye, just about an hour northwest of Saint-Tropez. It is a beautiful, pale salmon pink, with aromas of citrus and redcurrant. It is bright on the palate with notes of strawberry, red currant, melon, and violet. With food, it became soft and velvety on the palate, with a nice minerality. It is well-balanced, and has a pleasant finish. And it was just perfect with my scallops.

I really like this wine — and, while not inexpensive, it is a good value for the quality. I feel I am being safe in my rhapsodizing en bleu.