Amour by Astros

Provence Rosé.

Although one can find Roman remains on the estate, Astros was truly founded in the 13th century. Templar Knights settled on this fertile plain of the Argens to establish a Templar farmhouse.

They cultivated this land until the eradication of the Order by Philippe Le Bel in 1314. The domain of Astros thus passed into the hands of the Knights of Malta who perpetuated the work of the Templars.

The estate became national property during the Revolution, and it was not until 1802 that the estate fell back into the public domain. Maximin Martin, a wealthy soap maker from Marseille, then acquired the land of Astros. His grandson, Marc Maximin Martin, a keen admirer of Italian art, built a magnificent Château inspired by Tuscan villas in 1860.

The current owner, Bernard Maurel, gave fresh impetus to the estate in 1963. He planted new grape varieties and built a new cellar near the Château to produce his first AOC Côtes-de-Provence in 1970. The estate, whose main product had been red wine, then specialised in the production of rosé wines.

Amour Rosé is an AOP Côtes de Provence, which is a protected designation of origin classification. It is produced from Grenache, Cinsault and the less common Tibouren grapes. Tibouren is a red French wine grape that is primarily grown in Provence although it is thought to have originated in Greece. It adds aroma to the cuvée. The grape harvesting is done at night, which is common in warm climates. This limits oxidation and maintains the freshness and qualities of the grapes. This is an Organic certified wine.

Tasting Notes:

Appearance: pale peach hue
Nose: delicate stone fruit, white blossoms
Palate: medium dry, light and refreshing with notes of stone fruit, citrus peel and summer berries.

Amour Rosé is a great choice for al fresco quaffing before and with a meal of white meats, fish or shellfish. Serve well chilled and enjoy the aroma and elegant taste.