Elegant, refreshing, food-friendly and versatile, this Tavel offers mouth-watering aromas of strawberry and berry pie.
Corne Loup Tavel represents the pinnacle of the rose pyramid quality wise that can be achieved in the Southern Rhone. The town of Tavel has been famous for its rose wine since the time of the Popes in Avignon (1300's). Tavel is about 2,300 acres in size and produces about 500,000 cases yearly of 9 liter cases, plus can age for 2-3 years, unlike many other roses. Produced from a blend of Grenache, Cinsualt, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault and Carignan, the wine comes from a famous sub-parcel called the Plateau de Vallongue between Tavel and Lirac AOC's.
The 20 hectare-vineyards are located in the hamlets of Oliver, Campet, Vestides and Vallongue. The Tavel from this producer is a blend of all 3 soils types you can find in the AOC:
Dry and lively, it is an ideal wine for barbecues as it makes a wonderful sipper that's also capable of matching with a wide variety of summer foods, including grilled chicken, seafood and summer salads.
"Tavel is often called the rosé for red wine drinkers. The Corne Loup Rosé is pale red with a copper-orange tinge. It shows a zesty, spicy bouquet of Grenache fruit, and the palate delivers a solid punch of strawberry, red cherry and watermelon, finishing clean and long. - Don WINKLER"
- International Wine Review (Kysela Père et Fils Importer: 30 Years Importing High Quality, High Value Wines ; July 26th 2024), 91 pts
"This wine bursts in the glass with juicy watermelon, ripe black cherries, melon, fresh mint and white peppercorn. Additional layers of fresh cherry flavors and crushed stone dance back and forth on the palate and wash away with a long saline finish. Aerate for optimal enjoyment."
- Wine Enthusiast (September 2023), 93 pts
"The grenache syrah-cinsault-trio, refreshed with a touch of clairette (10%) works wonderfully in this radiant and fashionable tavel. A light ruby shimmering robe with apricot reflections opens up to an explosive and decadent bouquet (strawberry syrup, blackcurrant candy). The delicacy is echoed in the fleshy and slightly amyl palate, lively and energized from start to finish by a very nice freshness and a long tangy finish with lemon peel accents. A modern and lively version of tavel that provides instant pleasure and will be hard to keep in the cellar for long."
"Ruby color. Aromas of watermelon and strawberry Hubba Bubba with a medium-to-full body and a medium-to-long cassis, persimmons, and strawberry leaf finish. A complex rose with well balanced fruit and savory notes."
- Beverage Testing Institute (May 2022), 89 pts
"Almost garnet-hued in the glass, this plum-scented, Grenache-dominant blend offers all the blackberry and blueberry richness of a red wine with the freshness and thirst-quenching quaffability of a rosé. Accented by spikes of burnt caramel, granite and smoke, it's an elegant, satisfying and dry wine that drinks well anytime of the year. - ANNA LEE C. IIJIMA"
- Wine Enthusiast (September 2021), 91 pts
"Light carmen red. This isn’t the most expensive Tavel rosé, but it’s one of the most flavorful and and outstanding value. It has an effusive bouquet of cranberry, watermelon, and spice. The flavors tend towards ripe strawberry and cherry preserves with a mineral/herbal edge. Great value in Tavel rosé. A Grenache based blend with Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Clairette and Carignan from 20 year old vines planted in three different soil types"
- i-winereview.com (Rosés From Around the World: 2021 Annual Report), 90 pts
"With an effusive bouquet of fresh strawberry syrup, the 2019 Corne-Loup Rosé shows excellent freshness and refinement on the palate. Red cherry and berry flavors are enhanced by a notable mineral note. A superb Tavel! A blend of 60% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 10% Syrah, and 15% Mourvèdre, Clairette and Carignan from 20-year-old vines grown on pebbly, sandy soil in the Plateau de Vallongue sub-region. 14.1% alc."
- i-winereview.com (2019 Vintage Rosés from Around the World, June 2020), 91 pts
"Always rock solid, the 2019 Tavel is another impressive effort from this estate. Offering lots of upfront candied cherry and watermelon notes as well as a kiss of kirsch, it’s medium-bodied, has outstanding balance, good acidity, and a crisp, dry finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. It drops off slightly on the finish, but it’s nevertheless certainly delicious."
- Jeb Dunnuck (March 2020), 89 pts
"Traditional Tavel made of 65% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 10% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre, Clairette and Carignan. Fruit forward and easy drinking with good flavor intensity showing ripe red berries with spice and interesting floral notes. Finishes dry with very good persistence. Good value. 14% alc"
- International Wine Review (May 2019),90 pts
"Light Siam color. Aromas and flavors of ripe cherry and watermelon, summer berry melange, and cocoa powder with a satiny, vibrant, dry-yetfruity light-to-medium body and a smooth, interesting, medium-length finish with notes of strawberry-raspberry granita and iced tea with crunchy tannins and no oak flavor. An unabashedly fruity rose with crispy fruit tannins and wide appeal; a little something for everyone."
- Tastings, 2019 World Wine Championships, 89 pts, SILVER MEDAL , "Higly Recommended"
"Crushed stone, watermelon, strawberry and hints of peach show up on the nose of the 2017 Tavel. This is medium-bodied, stony and dry, with a plump mouthfeel and silky feel on the finish. - Joe Czerwinski"
- Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (June 15th 2018), 90 pts
"The 2017 Tavel reveals a classic Tavel with a deeper ruby color as well as ripe notes of strawberries, raspberries, and flowers. Medium-bodied, nicely textured, with lots of fruit but also good elegance, it’s a classic Tavel to drink over the coming year."
- Jeb Dunnuck (March 27th 2019), 89 pts
"Round and harmonious on the palate, this wine is a terrific value. Floral notes mark the nose, backed up by raspberry and strawberry fruit, while an undercurrent of crushed stone provides depth and backbone. the finish is berry-filled, but balanced and savory. - Joe Czerwinski"
- Wine Enthusiast Magazine (September 2017), 92pts and Editors' Choice
"Now that Domaine Corne-Loup's 2016 Tavel is just about a year old, it's showing more spice and less flowers than when I first tasted it, but it still remains a benchmark for the appellation. It's full-bodied, ripe and rich and loaded with raspberry fruit but with enough clove and allspice to bring even jaded palates back for multiple sips. - Joe Czerwinski"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue 233, October 2017), 92 pts
"This estate always makes a terrific Rosé and the 2016 Tavel is no exception. Sporting a classic Tavel deeper raspberry color, it offers terrific notes of black cherries, framboise and flowers in a medium-bodied, nicely textured, yet still fresh and vibrant style. I’d call it a food Rosé, but it has the purity and freshness drink nicely on its own as well. - Jeb Dunnuck"
- Jeb Dunnuck (2017 Rosé Round Up, September 4th 2017), 91 pts
"This is textbook Tavel: bright red color with vibrant flavors of strawberries, rosemary and thyme. Lots of fun on a warm day on the patio, or with garlicky or spicy foods. The 2016 is just entering the market and should have wider availability in the coming weeks. - David McIntyre"
- The Washington Post (5 wines to try this week, March 11th 2017)
"An outstanding effort that gives up complex notes of lavender, Provencal garrigue, flowers and light red fruits, the 2015 Rose from Domaine Corne Loup is medium-bodied, textured and layered, yet always stays fresh and lively. It's well worth buying and will be a perfect meal starter over the coming 6-12 months. - Jeb Dunnuck"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (May 2016), 90 pts
"The 2013 Tavel (the village known for France's most famous rosés) is composed of 65% Grenache, 15% Cinsault and the rest Syrah, Mourvèdre, Clairette and Carignan. This solidly made effort possesses more body than most 2013s as well as lots of strawberry, watermelon and kirsch notes, medium body, and a richly fruity finish. Drink it over the next year. - Robert Parker"
- Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (November 2014), 88 pts
In 1966, the Lafond family purchased 3 hectares in Tavel. They initially sold the production to a cooperative, but soon began selling wine under their own label. Today, Jacques Lafond ...
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