2025 Clos St. Magdeleine - Cassis Rose (750ml)

The Sack-Zafiropulos family has crafted wine at Clos Sainte Magdeleine for four generations, carrying on a legacy that stretches back to founder Jules Savon, who won a Gold Medal for the estate at the 1900 World's Fair in Paris. Perched on a private cape where the vineyards meet Cap Canaille, France's highest sea cliff at 400 meters above the Mediterranean, the domaine is one of only about a dozen properties permitted to produce wine under the tiny AOC Cassis appellation. Jonathan Sack took over viticulture and winemaking from his father, François, in 2008, completing the estate's conversion to organic farming in 2012 and introducing new techniques like concrete egg vinification alongside experiments with Vermentino, always working to draw out the full character of this striking maritime terroir.

This rosé blends Grenache, Cinsault, and Mourvèdre from vines averaging thirty-five years old, planted between 1980 and 1996 on clay and limestone soils. The grapes are destemmed and lightly crushed before pressing, then fermented with native yeasts without malolactic conversion, and aged in stainless steel on fine lees until bottling the following spring, with no fining.

The wine shows ripe strawberry, tropical fruit, and citrus zest on the nose, leading into a fully dry palate of lemon-doused strawberry and a touch of mineral texture on the finish. Supple and aromatic, it's a lovely match for a bowl of olives, grilled seafood, or Provençal fare more broadly.