Domaine Sulauze - 'Pitchounette' - Rosé of Grenache, Counoise, Mourvèdre - Coteaux d'Aix en Provence , FR - 2025

Notes from the Winery/Importer

“Pithounette” can be interpreted as “sweet little one” or “cutie pie”. 2025 marks the inaugural cuvée of this sweet little micro-négociant project from the “Sulauze Gang, ” aka Domaine de Sulauze’s vineyard employees. The “gang” has all banded together to combine their individual vineyard holdings into an exciting new range of organically farmed, approachable and affordable Provençal wines that are true of place. Direct press rosé, fermented with native yeast in a temperature-controlled tank. Unfiltered, unfined, very lowdose SO2. This fruit is grown on employee-owned vineyards in an adjacent valley in St Martigues that they farm organically.

Notes on the Producer

Certified Organic and Biodynamic According to Guillaume and Karina Lefèvre, "Domaine de Sulauze is more than a vineyard. It's a place that is alive and meant to be shared." And so it is at the annual raucous pig roasts where the bounty of the vineyard & cellar, brewery & hop yard, bakery & mill, olive groves, and farm animals, is all proudly shared at the table. Karina and Guilhaume came to the domaine in 2004 and immediately converted the vines to organic farming and a few years later, to biodynamic farming as well. Today the domaine is a winery, brewery and mixed use farm that encompasses 500 hectares of organic farmland. They have 30 hectares of vines on limestone and sand planted to classic Provence varieties like Vermentino, Grenache Blanc, Ugni Blanc and Clairette for the whites and Grenache, Syrah (and the more rare Sereine), Cab Sauvignon, Cinsault and Mourvèdre. Over the years Guillaume has brought back many vine cuttings taken from massale selection and grafted them onto his rootstock and now makes single parcel bottlings from these vines, including Vermentino and Sciacarello from Antoine Abatucci’s vines and Sereine (a historic, locally adapted variety of Syrah) from Hermitage. Everything is harvested by hand, fermentations are with native yeasts and whether sulfur is added at bottling depends on the vintage and cuvée. The domaine’s single parcels are ploughed by horse. https://www.domainedesulauze.com/

Grapes & Style

Grenache

Grenache is one of the great Mediterranean red grapes, central to the southern Rhône, Spain, and many of the warmer, drier wine regions around the world. It’s known as Garnacha in Spain, where it has deep roots, and it plays a major role in wines from places like Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Priorat, Navarra, and the Sierra de Gredos.

In the vineyard, Grenache ripens late and likes heat, sun, and wind. It can handle drought well, but it needs thoughtful farming because it can produce high alcohol and soft structure if pushed too far. Old vines are especially valuable, often giving naturally lower yields and more concentrated fruit.

In the glass, Grenache tends toward red fruit, strawberry, raspberry, dried herbs, spice, and a warm, generous texture. It’s usually lighter in color than its flavor suggests, with moderate tannin and plenty of charm. The best versions balance ripeness with freshness, showing warmth without becoming heavy.

Counoise

Counoise is a southern Rhône red grape, best known as one of the permitted varieties in Châteauneuf-du-Pape but increasingly interesting on its own. It tends to bring freshness, spice, and aromatic lift rather than density or sheer power.

In the vineyard, Counoise can be useful in warm regions because it holds acidity and adds a lighter, more fragrant register to blends. As a varietal wine, it often works best when the winemaking preserves its brightness rather than trying to force too much extraction.

In the glass, Counoise often shows red cherry, raspberry, cranberry, pepper, herbs, and a lightly savory, earthy edge. It’s usually medium-bodied or lighter, with lively acidity and gentle tannin, making it one of the more drinkable and quietly charming Rhône grapes.

Mourvèdre

Mourvèdre is a late-ripening Mediterranean red grape, especially important in Bandol, the southern Rhône, Spain, and warm coastal regions around the world. In Spain it’s usually called Monastrell, and in Australia it has often been known as Mataro. It’s frequently blended with Grenache and Syrah, but in the right places it can stand powerfully on its own.

In the vineyard, Mourvèdre needs heat and a long season to ripen properly. It likes warm, dry conditions, often near the sea, and can struggle in cooler or wetter climates. When it ripens fully, it brings deep color, tannin, and a distinctly savory dimension.

In the glass, Mourvèdre tends toward dark fruit, black plum, dried herbs, leather, earth, game, and spice. It can be firm and brooding in youth, but the best versions develop real complexity with age. We like it most when the richness is matched by freshness and the wine keeps its wild, savory edge.