Organic Chateau de Sannes Rosé

While in northern Tuscany at a retreat with new friends, I expected to drink Italian wine — and lots of it! Instead, the cocktail game was on point, and then some, with professional and brilliant mixologists. Then for our final evening together, someone brought organic wine from where he works, Chateau de Sannes, Luberon, in the south of France! Marc-Antoine was also the chef that night— he spent several days marinating in red wine then cooking venison to make a Bourguignon style stew and a potato gratin to pair with the wines he brought. Obviously, the venison stew went with the four red wines, but I also enjoyed how the venison stew went with the four Rosé— and appreciated the quality and affordability of the twelve organic wines we tasted together. With the warm days of summer here, Rose Day upon us Saturday June 14, let’s celebrate the longer days with these organic Rosé  from France!Forgive the lack of photos— it was getting dark and food getting cold and more fun to be had, so I thought I’d take pictures in the morning but there wasn’t much wine left! And as you can imagine, every last drop of stew and potatoes was enjoyed as well! 

The Chateau makes five Rosé with different blends, differently aged vines grown at different elevations, and at different price points (all very affordable for the quality), and it was fun to experience these differences in an unexpected guided tasting. A dozen or more people crowded around to learn more about the twelve wines from Marc-Antoine, and to hear our tasting notes — while our food got cold!  It was great to see how serious everyone took the tasting, exploring their palates and comparing notes. All told, we tasted four white wines, four rose, and four red blends. Below is a quick snapshot of the Chateau de Sannes and four of their five Rosé in advance of Saturday’s Rosé Day— and in advance of a possible visit there before I live Europe!

“An air of timelessness permeates the shade cast by the Sannes plane trees,” according to the Chateau de Sannes website. “The air’s blue gaze tempts you along the honey-coloured drive leading to the chateau. The old mill drinks the gentle wind above the green strokes of vineyards painted on the Luberon landscape. The sunshine beats down on summer’s red cherries embraced by lavender’s mauve fragrance.” Sounds lovely doesn’t it? Makes me want to jump on a plane and visit! 

Founded in 1603, the Domaine has evolved to become a lively place for visitors with experiences available year round including vineyard walks, yoga classes, painting workshops, dancing to live music, and special wine pairing dinners. Plus every month or two, a new artist exhibits their work on site. All of this occurs on the 73-hectare estate which surrounds the 17th-century château in “a harmonious blend of nature and cultivation, with 35 hectares of vines, 320 olive trees, and magnificent wooded areas.” Find details and prices for special events here.

The viticulture has also evolved from traditional to organic and biodynamic: in 2017, Pierre Gattaz changed cultivation practices so that everything they do “incorporates an understanding of and respect for the balance between vines, plants, trees, soil and the environment.” By 2023, grapes were certified as organic, and as new vintages come to market, the logo will be on more and more labels.

photo above courtesy of Chateau de Sannes, Luberon

Located in Luberon Regional Nature Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the Chateau de Sannes vineyards are in a region ideal for organic crops. Rich clay soil and rocky scree produce rich, well-structured wines while “marl and molasse stones give them a roundness; and its ‘safre’ soils give birth to elegant wines that reveal a wonderful complexity of flavour. The limestone gravel naturally regulates the vine stock’s temperature and moisture levels.” Vineyards are naturally irrigated by ancient springs. Altitude and exposure to the wind creates diurnal shift so grapes cool at night.

Organic Chateau de Sannes Rosé

Four Organic Rose from Chateau de Sannes: In general, I found the wines fresh and lively with excellent balance between acidity and fruit. What I found most charming about them was the presence of the land in the wines, some more than others, and featuring notes of garrigue and herbs of Provence.

• Moulin de Sannes IGP Méditérannée Rosé 2024
  20 year old vines: 30% Grenache noir, 25% Syrah, 25% Rolle, 10% Cinsault 10% Mourvèdre
  fresh and lively with lots of rose petals, raspberry, strawberry, mint, garrigue and herbs of provence
  available also bag in box which makes the wine very affordable for people and planet!
  The Saqui de Sannes family built the windmill in the 18th century and today is still works, one of the few in the region, because there’s plenty of wind here which helps reduce disease pressure.
• 1603  2023
  Over 25 year old vines organic certified since 2020: 70% Syrah, 15% Grenache Noir, 15% Grenache Blanc
  The King of France gave them the land in 1603 and this line of wines testifies to their history.
  Loads of orchard fruit!

• Aciana 2023 
  Over 25 year old vines: 60% Grenache noir, 25% Syrah, 10% Grenache blanc, 5% Rolle
  This is a wine for food— it has the complexity to handle a complex meal.
  Aciana means “Wild Gladiolus” in the Roman language, and in the 2nd century, the village of Sannes was called Aciana with vineyards already in cultivation.

• Castini
  Over 25 year old vines: 50% Syrah (en saignée), 30% Grenache Noir, 20% Rolle
  Another great food wine: half of the blend was vinified in a 500L barrel and the other half in a stoneware jar, then aged on fine lees, with malolactic fermentation blocked for freshness.
  Full bodied and ready to take on a meal!

Just a snapshot as promised but an intriguing one I hope! I look forward to learning more and one day soon visiting the winery! Beyond being beautiful and organic, Marc-Antoine is a great chef and a lot of fun so I am sure the winery offers unforgettable experiences. Or buy a bottle of wine and use your imagination to travel by glass to Luberon.

More Rosé from the French Winophiles!  

• Wendy is sharing “Simple Green Salad with Shrimp and Lemon Vinaigrette paired with Gerard Bertrand Rose” at A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Jeff is sharing “Surprising Rosés from the Loire Valley” at Food Wine Click
• Here on Wine Predator we are sharing “Organic Côtes du Rhône Rosé with Salmon Cakes, Squash Soup, Salad” and “Luberon with Love: Four Organic Chateau de Sannes Rose Paired with Venison Bourguignon” at Wine Predator
• Robin is sharing “The Joys of Tavel and a Salade Niçoise” at Crushed Grape Chronicles
• Camilla is sharing “A Serious Rhône Rosé with a Nostalgic Fast Food Sandwich Reimagined” at Culinary Cam
• Deanna is sharing “Bugey Cerdon – Semi-Sweet Sparkling Rose from Jura” at Wineivore

There’s lots more Rosé here on Wine Predator too! We always feature Rosé around Rosé Day in June, but also throughout the year because we enjoy drinking it all year!

Coming up on Wine Predator, more Rosé!

• Puglia’s Pink Wine Shines: Radichi del Sud’s Outstanding Rosatos in 2025
• Salmon Cakes + Organic Ventura County Rosé from Doctor’s Orders, Happy Accidents, Side Street Wine, The Ojai Vineyard plus a link to my article in Ventana Monthly