Saint Hilaire Cuvée Prestige ROSÈ 2024

Saint Hilaire Cuvée Prestige Rosé 2024 is a refined Côtes de Provence rosé that captures the luminosity and elegance of southern France in the glass. Crafted from Grenache and Syrah, it offers a crystal-clear, candy-pink hue and a delicately complex profile that’s built for both pleasure and gastronomy. This cuvée stands out as a true “food rosé” with real aging potential, drawing on generations of family know-how at Château Saint Hilaire.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the wine shows a beautiful candy-pink color with paler highlights, reflecting the light with a crystalline brilliance. The nose is very fresh and expressive, opening with red berry notes and floral hints of violet, then deepening into aromas of wild strawberries and raspberries. On the palate, the attack is rounded and silky, immediately highlighting ripe red fruits wrapped in vibrant freshness. A lively, tense mid-palate brings remarkable balance, leading into a long, refined finish layered with violet, delicate minerality, and a subtle salinity that invites another sip. While ready to enjoy now, this gastronomic rosé has genuine aging potential over the next few years, gaining further complexity and texture with time.

Production
Nestled in the sun-drenched hills of Côtes de Provence, Château Saint Hilaire benefits from a classic Provençal terroir of well-drained, stony soils, Mediterranean sunshine, and cooling mistral winds that help preserve freshness in Grenache and Syrah. The grapes are harvested at optimal ripeness, often in the cooler hours of the day, to safeguard aromatic intensity and natural acidity. In the cellar, the fruit is gently pressed, and the must is cold-settled before a cool, temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel to retain purity and precision of flavor. Careful handling and lees contact are likely employed to add texture and finesse, resulting in a rosé that balances charm with structure.

Food & Serving
This is a superb aperitif rosé, delicious on its own or alongside a selection of pressed, semi-hard cheeses. From the sea, it pairs beautifully with trout tartare dressed with grapefruit and coriander, ceviche, or delicate shellfish dishes. From the land, try it with a grilled veal chop, poultry with herbs, or creamy truffle mashed potatoes to echo its subtle floral and mineral notes. Serve well-chilled at 9–10 °C; for maximum expression, you can briefly give it a few minutes in the glass rather than a long decant, allowing the aromatics and texture to unfold gradually.

Producer
The story of Château Saint Hilaire is rooted in the Lapierre family, who have lived and grown vines around the commune of Coudoux since the late 18th century. In 1935, Jean Lapierre left a career as a French naval officer to dedicate himself fully to the land, then mainly planted with olive trees. His son Max transformed the property into a wine estate in 1952, passing on his savoir-faire to his son Yves. In 1973, Yves created Domaine Saint Hilaire, driven by the ambition to craft wines whose richness is anchored in the originality of the local terroir, guiding every decision from vineyard management to élevage. In 2011, together with his sons Nicolas and Bruno, he began constructing a modern winery in the heart of the vineyards, completed in 2016 and christened Château Saint Hilaire. Today, the estate is a respected name in Provence, known for elegant, terroir-driven wines that reflect both family heritage and contemporary precision.