My Bride and I had a wonderful time at the French Rosé wine tasting at Bar Pigalle.  A rather new establishment, and between the bar and the kitchen, it appears that they are carving out a niche in the Midtown area of Detroit that has been bustling for the last ten years or so, as the district keeps picking up more residents moving in and the independent restaurants are creating a need for even the suburbanites to drive down for dinner.  We had met one of the principals as we first arrived, because as I keep telling you, I am such a shy wall-flower and we were going to go back to the bar and thank him for being such a good host and for the fine evening we had. 

There were still a few bottles and a few tasters milling about at the end of the bar.  He grabbed a fresh glass and poured my Bride a glass of Domaines Ott Chateau de Selle Cotes de Provence Clair de Noirs Rose 2021.  Domaines Ott is famed for their rosé wines in the south of France.  They have three estates: Clos Mireille, Chateau Romassan, and Chateau de Selle (and since renovated de Selle, they created a fourth line “By.Ott”).  The wineries were founded by Marcel Ott in 1896, and Chateau de Selle was added in 1912.  Each of the three estates make two wines, and all are bottled the unique bottles which represent the undulating landscape of Provence.  Chateau de Selle is the most inland of the estates and are planted on terraced slopes of soils that are a mix of gypsum, red clay, sandstone, gravel, and chalk. The wine is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, and Mourvedre; and I would venture to say that the wine is fermented and aged in Stainless Steel tanks. A golden-pink colored wine offering subtle notes of citrus, florals, and spice.  On the palate a fresh and crisp mix of citrus flavors ending with a nice lemon edge, well balanced and with a nice medium count finish with a kiss of sweetness and terroir.

I finished the evening having a glass of Domaine Rolet Pere et Fils, Arbois vin Jaune 2014. My Bride is not partial to the white wines of the Jura, so I took advantage of having one without her.  Domaine Rolet was created in 1942, and in two generations they were producing wines of all the appellations of the Jura.  In 2018 the Rolet family handed over the estate to three families who were passionate about wine and the Jura. Arbois was one of the first AOC districts in France, since 1936, the district also created one of the first wine cooperatives; and the region has been recognized since the year 1000. The wines have been written about by Rabelais, as well as Jacques Brel. This wine is pure Savagnin, one of the famed varietals of the Jura. The grapes are manually harvested and sorted at the end of the harvest season. The wine is aged for six years and three months (minimum) in oak barrels.  A “flor” of yeast, or a layer sits on top of the wine as it ages. The wine also naturally oxidizes during the aging process, and the wine is basically untouched during the entire aging period; and the barrels lose some of the wine, and even the bottles represent the lost wine, as the bottles have a smaller amount compared to the average wine bottle.  This soft straw-yellow wine offers notes of cut hay, dried fruit, almonds, and spices.  On the palate a refreshing dry wine with tones of fruit and almonds, saffron and plenty of oak and a nice long finish evoking yeast and almonds.  I enjoy the rich, concentrated taste, especially the nuttiness (for a lack of a better word), but my Bride only enjoys the Cremant wines and the red wines of the Jura, it is that unique.