Rosés come in enough colors - pale pink to bright orange to dark cherry - and different styles - bone dry to over-sweet, delicate to hearty and robust, to satisfy every conceivable taste. I generally prefer the pale pink versions from Provence as their color tends to reflect their more subtle and gently wrought flavors. In the hands of an inferior winemaker this can lead to anemic wine, but when it’s done right, as this Nick’s WOW, the Domaine Sainte André de Figuiere Vielles Vignes Rosé 2005 ($20) well shows, the  results are delightful.

When Alain Combard moved to Provence in 1991 it was for a quieter life, a semi-retirement, but to keep himself from getting bored he bought 16 hectares of old vines. Now those 16 hectares have grown to 60, and his Domaine Sainte André de Figuiere produces 600,000 bottles a year. Some retirement.    

 [To read more on Combard, and all the changes happening to Provencal winemaking, check out my article on Portfolio.com by clicking here]

His Vielles Vignes Rosé  is a beautiful pale salmon pink color,  all white peaches and watermelon, and 30 year old vines give this delectable wine a depth and intensity of flavorful minerality that’s rare in rosé. Eminently quaffable and about as good as it gets with rosé.