For several years now we have been loyal to this lovely rosé which we import directly from Cellier des Chartreux in the Gard region of France, just north of the beautiful city of Avignon. A stunning, pale copper-tinged colour, with a complex nose of ripe red fruits. On the palate this wine is delightfully refreshing and elegant with notes of white peach and citrus fruit. The mouthfeel is full and rich, marked by bright acidity and a lemon zest lift. Everything you want from a Grenache Provence-style rosé, but without the price, as it is made just outside the Cotes de Provence AOC.
A note on the name - the winery, Cellier des Chartreux, likes to name its wines after phrases or proverbs with cats in them as the Chartreux is a French breed of cat.
This particular phrase (literally, "at night, or in the dark, all cats look grey") exists in many languages but it‘s originally an English proverb.
Attributed to Benjamin Franklin, explaining why to take an older woman to bed, but appears in John Heywood's book of proverbs (1546) as 'When all candles bee out all cattes be gray.'
This can be interpreted as "In the dark, physical appearance is unimportant.“ Put that in your pipe and smoke it - or maybe just drink this wine.
