Le Petit Ballon – June 2017: Life Is Rosé

For wine lovers, you really can’t beat a high-quality wine subscription box, and Le Petit Ballon offers just that service. When you sign up, there are different options available, but all of the wines have been specially tasted and selected by the master sommelier, Jean-Michel Deluc – a man who is greatly revered in the world of wines and has previously worked at the famous Ritz in London.

Every month, Le Petit Ballon will send you two bottles of wine and they’re sent in a thick and sturdy box straight to your doorstep via courier. With the wines, you’ll find a copy of their monthly magazine, The Gazette, which is a really enjoyable read and always has interesting content in it, and there are also Tasting Notes which explain the history and making of the month’s chosen wines and how to taste them like an expert.

To keep things even more interesting, Le Petit Ballon has a new theme every month, and June’s box is called ‘Life Is Rosé‘ to celebrate the arrival of Summer. I love a good bottle of Rosé, especially when the sun is shining, so I couldn’t wait to open up this box.

Inside, I found two bottles of wine as part of Le Petit Ballon’s Grape Expectations subscription option:-

Terre de Mistral Fanette 2016 Rosé (750ml, 13%)

Starting with the star wine of the box this month, Jean-Michel proudly states that this is ‘the Rosé of your summer!’ on the Tasting Notes, and I’m inclined to agree! Produced by the Terre de Mistral estate near the Sainte Victoire mountain in France, the family manager is an incredible 83 years old and still works every day in the vineyards. All of his wines are named after the women in his family, and this particular Rosé Cuvee is named after Fanette. It’s made with a triple blend of Grenache, Syrah and Muscat Petit Grains grapes for a distinctive flavour and colour.

The bottle has a gorgeous elegant design and the colour of this Rosé is simply beautiful. I haven’t seen many that are this exact shade before – it’s like a pale salmon pink with hints of silver, and in certain angles, this pale pink colour almost changes before your eyes – it’s quite mesmerising!

When I opened it, my nose was greeted with a really fresh and floral aroma, and tasting it was almost the same. It’s an incredibly fruity Rosé with the full force of the grapes coming out immediately, but it’s also very fresh at the same time. I can see why Jean-Michel likes it so much – it’s definitely a perfect Summer Rosé and it pairs well with cold meats, grilled veggies, fish and fresh cheeses. Delicious!

Château de Corneilla Jonqueres d’Oriola – Le Gaillard 2014 (750ml, 14%)

Described as a ‘hedonistic wine’, this bottle of red comes from the Jonqueres d’Oriola family estate which has been producing wine for over 27 generations since the 14th century – talk about history! The bottle seems to represent this accurately with a strongly traditional label and typography design. This particular wine was created in 2014 and features a triple blend of grapes that have been specifically chosen for their unique qualities; 50% Syrah for freshness and finesse, 25% Grenache for weight and fruit and 25% Mourvedre for additional character and complexity.

The result is a robust, powerful and complex red wine which has a deep violet, bluish black colour and a fruity and spicy aroma with hints of menthol and dark chocolate. Taste-wise it’s a richly full-bodied flavour with black fruits and crisp tannins. This is definitely a wine to be savoured and enjoyed slowly, and it pairs well with poultry dishes, spaghetti bolognese and strong fresh cheeses like Boursin.

Special Father’s Day Discount Code

If you’d like to treat your dad to some high-quality wine from Le Petit Ballon, you can use the discount code LASTMIN10 to get 10% off all giftcards. Valid until 18th June 2017 and you can find more information here. Enjoy!