From Aix-en-Provence: Half-day Sidecar Wine Tour
Leave Aix-en-Provence aboard a vintage sidecar and discover the legendary Sainte-Victoire mountain, Cézanne’s muse, along with charming villages and local wine tastings.
Structure
Drinking window
Best 5 to 25 years from vintage.
vintage5 yrs25 yrs27 yrs
Critic scores
No critic score is published for this bottle that we can cite with a reviewer, a vintage and a review year, so none is shown. The rating in the header is our own.
In the glass
Aroma: garrigue, black cherry, leather, wild thyme
Palate: black pepper, kirsch, tobacco, graphite
Old-vine Grenache-Mourvedre blend from limestone scree on the north-facing slope above the Arc river. Garrigue-laced, slow-evolving Palette with firm tannins and a long savoury finish.
What it pairs with
-
Daube provencale
The wine's leather and herbe-de-Provence register echoes the slow-cooked beef and orange peel of the daube. -
Roast saddle of lamb with rosemary
Firm tannins frame the lamb fat; thyme-and-rosemary garrigue notes meet the herb crust. -
Aged Tomme de Provence
Sheep's milk Provencal tomme picks up the wine's savoury Mourvedre register without overwhelming the fruit. -
Wild boar civet
Game and the wine's tobacco-tinged Mourvedre have a long shared history in Provencal cuisine.
How to serve Chateau Simone Palette Rouge
Allow 90 minutes from open to pour.
- Open and decant. Open 60 to 90 minutes before serving for vintages under 10 years old; older bottles can be decanted briefly off any sediment.
- Serve at 16-18C. Cellar temperature is ideal; warmer pushes the alcohol forward and shuts down the wild-thyme aromatics.
- Use a Burgundy-shaped glass. The wide bowl rewards the Grenache aromatics; a tighter Bordeaux glass works for older bottles when the tannin has softened.
- Pair with the food. Daube provencale, lamb with rosemary or wild boar civet match the wine's structure and savoury Mourvedre register.
History
The Rougier family has bottled Palette Rouge from Chateau Simone since 1830. Vines on the north-facing limestone slope above the Arc are protected from intense sun, and a polyculture of more than 20 grape varieties is maintained as a living heritage of Provencal viticulture.
- 1830: Rougier family takes ownership of Chateau Simone
- 1948: Palette AOC created, with Chateau Simone the dominant producer
- 2000: Jean-Francois Rougier takes over winemaking from his father Rene
Facts
- Producer
- Chateau Simone · visiting guide
- Grapes
- Grenache (45%), Mourvedre (30%), Cinsault (5%), Syrah, Castet, Manosquin, Carignan
- Classification
- Palette AOC
- Oak
- Aged in old foudres and demi-muids for 24 months without racking
- ABV
- 14.0%
- Price
- EUR 55 to 80 at retail
- Drinking window
- 5-25 from vintage
Frequently asked about Chateau Simone Palette Rouge
What does Chateau Simone Palette Rouge taste like?
Garrigue, black cherry, leather and wild thyme on the nose; black pepper, kirsch, tobacco and graphite on the palate. Full-bodied with firm tannins, medium acidity and a long savoury finish.
When should I drink Chateau Simone Palette Rouge?
Drink between 5 and 25 years from vintage. The 24 months of oak ageing without racking gives the wine slow-evolving structure; younger vintages benefit from at least 60 minutes of decanting.
What grapes are in Chateau Simone Palette Rouge?
Grenache and Mourvedre dominate the blend (around 45 percent and 30 percent), with smaller proportions of Cinsault, Syrah and the heritage Provencal grapes Castet, Manosquin and Carignan from old polyculture parcels.
What food pairs with Chateau Simone Palette Rouge?
Daube provencale is the canonical pairing; the wine's leather and herbe-de-Provence register echoes the slow-cooked beef and orange peel. Roast saddle of lamb with rosemary and wild boar civet are equally strong matches.
Tags
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