Wednesday Wines – Episode 112 – 2021 L’exuberance Rosé
Episode 112 – Finesse Personified: 2021 L’exuberance Rosé
8th June 2022
2021 L’exuberance Rosé du Clos Cantenac, Bordeaux, France (£21.00, 75cl bottle; £42.00, 150cl magnum and £106.00, 300cl double magnum, www.privatecellar.co.uk).
Vineyard: 3.5 hectares overall vineyard
Grape variety: 100% Merlot.
Harvest: 100% by hand on 16th, 17th and 21st September 2021
Winemaking: Fermented in 15% New French Oak barrels, 15% 2nd and 3rd year oak and 70% in stainless steel
Ageing: 5 months on the lees with regular batonnage
Alcohol by volume: 12.5%vol
Residual sugar: < 2 g/l
Production: 10,000 bottles
There are only a handful of serious rosés made in Bordeaux, and this is my favourite. 2021 L’exuberance is the most subtle, demure and dreamy release from this impressive Saint-Émilion estate, and everything about this wine is restrained, controlled and shimmeringly beautiful. Designed for elite aperitif duties, but with enough gravitas and drive to power on through starters and into carefully chosen main courses, this is raspberry, pomegranate and strawberry hull-scented wine has a bone dry, raspy and mineral-soaked finish. Extraordinarily refreshing, it is a palate-invigorating style that makes Provençal examples look clumsy and lumbering by comparison. Take note of the large formats listed above because this wine is set to amaze all-comers at the smartest summer soirées this year. 18/20 Drink now – 2023
