Pure – A Magical Provence Rosé!

Newsletter from our Washington DC distributor Calvert Woodley (written by Ben Giliberti 03 June 2015) 

In the summer of 2009, Englishman Stephen Cronk quit his high paying London corporate job and moved his young family to Provence to pursue his dream — to craft beautiful rosés that would be enjoyed around the world. While wishing him the best, many of his closest friends and relations concluded that the once sober-minded businessman had gone just a wee bit daft.

Just six years later, however, his Mirabeau rosés are sold in ten countries and have won international acclaim from some of the toughest wine critics in the world (“heart-achingly beautiful,” opined a leading UK wine writer.) His first wine, the entry-level Mirabeau Classic Rosé, became an instant Calvert Woodley bestseller when we introduced it last year, and continues to be a CW customer favorite. This week, we are pleased to welcome Stephen’s new, top of the line offering, the 2014 Mirabeau Pure Rosé, at a special introductory price of just $15.99 on case purchases of 12 bottles or more ($16.99 for 1-11 bottles; reg., $21.99). As good as the Classic is, for just slightly more money, the Pure takes one to an other-worldly dimension of quality. Please note, however, that this is a limited time introductory offer and will not be repeated. Kindly act now by going to the add to cart button, or by calling the CW WineLine at (202) 966-0445.

Here are the details:

** It’s not just Brad and Angelina who are getting in on the Provençal rosé action lately. Small, quality-oriented producers, such as Mirabeau, Château d’Esclans (makers of Whispering Angel), and others have brought about a quality revolution in Provence over the last decade. As a result, Provence rosés (which are dry, bearing no resemblance beyond the pretty pink color to American “blush” wines, e.g., “white zin”) have been taking America by storm of late. Last year alone, exports of Provence rosé to the US jumped nearly 40%, continuing a trend of double-digit increases over the last decade. No longer an afterthought of red wine production, Provence rosés are today made with verve and commitment, to the same standards as the world’s greatest reds and whites. Yet, the prices remain quite reasonable.

** Mirabeau Pure Rosé is a classic blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Vermentino. The grapes come from some of the highest altitudes in the Côtes de Provence. This allows Mirabeau to take advantage of the optimal cooler growing temperatures found at elevation, to make a wine that is conspicuously more delicate and ethereal than just about any rosé out there. Mirabeau Pure out-finesses even the very fine Whispering Angel, the wine that virtually pioneered the beautiful, understated style that has revolutionized Provence rosé winemaking. (For the record, I go back and forth between Mirabeau Pure and Whispering Angel; in the 2013 vintage, I marginally preferred the latter; for 2014, the Mirabeau Pure clearly gets the nod; plus, it costs less at our special introductory case price — which is why case purchases are highly recommended.)

** Provence is among the gastronomic capitals of France and, as one might expect, Mirabeau Pure is a food compatible wine par excellence. However, thanks to the crisp, integrated acidity, and fresh, airy fruit, it’s also a perfect patio wine, delectable by itself as an aperitif, as well as with food.

** Even if you have not yet had the pleasure of tasting Mirabeau rosé, there is a very good chance you know of it. Owner Stephen Cronk’s video called “How to Open a Bottle of Wine Using Your Shoe” has gone viral, capturing over 10,000,000 views on YouTube so far. Like the wines, Stephen’s delightfully irreverent video is highly recommended.

Family Time

Mirabeau Wine began in the summer of 2009, when London businessman Stephen Cronk quit his lucrative finance job in London to pursue a dream of making great rosé wine with his wife Jeany. “We had been dreaming and talking about moving to France to make our own wine for years,” said Stephen, “but the moment never seemed quite right to make the big leap.” The opportunity finally arrived in August 2008, when Stephen turned down a promotion that would have meant more money, but also more stress, longer hours and less time with his growing family. Said Stephen, “so on that fateful day, we packed up our worldly possessions on the back of a truck, and with barely a word of French between us, we headed south to a small village called Cotignac, in the heart of Provence.”

Since he was not a winemaker himself, Stephen’s first order of business was to put together a world-class winemaking team. “We spent a year just getting our bearings, and learning to live the Provençal way, crisscrossing the country researching, and identifying the best vineyards to work with,” he explained. Departing from local tradition, Stephen tapped a winemaker who had trained in the Barossa Valley, Australia, to gain the advantage of a fresh winemaking perspective. He then began scouring the region looking for the very best people who knew how to grow the very best grapes. In practice, this meant working with only the most well-situated vineyards in the region, tended by people who combined old world knowledge of vine growing, with the most advanced new ways of working in harmony with nature to produce the best grapes. Today, Mirabeau has developed an extensive network with many of the best growers in Provence, covering over 3,000 acres of prime Côtes de Provence vineyards. “We have access to fantastic fruit from many different locations,” said Stephen, “an embarrassment of riches, and truly a dream come true.”

The reception of Mirabeau’s wines has been both immediate and exceptionally positive. “We present our wines at the world’s toughest and most prestigious competitions,” said Stephen, “because we would want to be judged next to some of the very best wines from Provence.” In just its first few years, Mirabeau has won numerous prestigious awards: the Gold and Silver Medal at the Rosé Masters 2014; 90 and 89 point scores from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate , and the Gold Medal at the Grand Concours d’Agricole in Paris. Says Stephen, “While we will never rest on our laurels, these awards have given us tremendous optimism that we are well along the right track to achieve what we set out to do — and more!”

Tasting Notes

2014 Mirabeau – Rosé Pure Côtes de Provence

Vibrant and pure, with lots of juiciness emerging behind the tender cherry, boysenberry and wild plum flavors. White pepper, Provençal herbs and mineral elements lend this plenty of freshness, lingering on the savory finish. Really quite marvelous.
Regular price $21.99

SALE! $16.99

Case SALE! $15.99 a bottle

Shipping Information

Calvert Woodley is pleased to ship your purchase at modest cost. Please use the shipping calculator in your online shopping cart for a quote. We will hold your purchase, if need be, until the weather is more suitable for shipping.

By law, we can only ship to the following states: AK, AL, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, LA, MN, MO, NE, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, SC, WA, WI, WV