90% Grenache Gris, 5% Carignan, 5% Mourvèdre
Languedoc, France
Light Body
Crisp, pure, and incredibly versatile. A very fresh and delicate bouquet of citrus blossoms, citrus zest, and faint red berries. The palate is bright and mouthwatering.
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Winemaker: Bruno Laboucarié
Vineyard: 46.2 ha
Soil: Silica, clay, limestone (gravelly with large galets or rounded stones)
Aging: 4-6 months in stainless steel tanks
Description from importer Kermit Lynch: "For nearly fifty years, Domaine de Fontsainte’s Gris de Gris and Domaine Tempier’s Bandol have represented a sort of yin and yang of our southern French rosés. If Bandol offers a darker, stonier, and more robust wine, Fontsainte’s Gris de Gris delivers a crisper and more featherweight expression of the South. Made mostly from Grenache Gris—a lighter-hued mutation of the more common Grenache Noir grape—this “vin gris” is so refreshing and versatile that it’s probably the most popular bottle among KLWM staff each summer—possibly even all year. Need a bottle that’s salad-friendly for your next picnic? Check. Or a glass to enjoy while you’re tending the grill? Look no further. Or—perhaps most importantly—need a wine for a mixed company with a variety of preferences for white, rosé, and even red? Fontsainte’s Gris de Gris has the frame and acidity for white-wine lovers while it delivers the succulence, spice, and faint red-berry notes for your friends who prefer reds. You’ll realize as soon as you taste it why this has been one of our essential cuvées for nearly five decades."
The first vineyards at Domaine de Fontsainte were planted by the Romans. The original domaine was built around a thermal spring, which was later named for the local, 12th-century patron saint, Saint Siméon; hence Fontsainte—the saint’s fount.
