Domaine Lafage Miraflors Rosé

For a long time there was a stigma associated with rosé wines, they were considered to be lower quality than red or white wines. This could have been down to some less careful production practices in the past or the fact that rosé wines were associated with being simple and sweet. However, in recent years, there has been a significant change in the perception of rosé wines. Wineries and producers have invested in improving the quality of these wines, using high quality grapes and more careful winemaking techniques. The result has been a much wider range of rosé wines, that vary in style, taste and quality. One of the regions that has become famous for its expertise in making high quality rosé wines is Languedoc-Roussillon in France. A wine-growing area that extends along the Mediterranean coast and encompasses a variety of terroirs and microclimates that are good for the cultivation of grapes for making rosé wines.

One of the wineries that knows this very well and has managed to position its wines in the position they deserve is Domaine Lafage. Now run by Jean-Marc Lafage and his wife Éliane Salinas, this is a family estate that is committed to vinifying native grape varieties and using their ability to create wines that capture the essence of the South of France. This is clear to see in Domaine Lafage Miraflors Rosé, the winery’s flagship wine made from Grenache Gris, Grenache Noir and Mourvèdre grapes from the coastal terroirs they own around Canet en Roussillon with pebble soils. These are vines with an average age of 25 years old that are organically cultivated and harvested by hand at the optimum point of ripeness. In the winery, the grapes are directly pressed and then the perfectly clear musts are fermented separately at a controlled temperature of 16°C to preserve the fruit’s aromas. Finally, the wine is aged in vats on fine lees.

Rosé is in fashion and Domaine Lafage Miraflors Rosé is proof of this. This is the house’s star wine and part of the IGP des Côtes Catalanes, which has positioned itself at the top of the quality rosé wines.