10 Jul 2024
I recently joined François Matton, CEO of Minuty wines for a tutored tasting and lunch on the terrace of Villa Minuty at London’s Rosewood Hotel. Naively I turned up believing he only produced rosé wine as that’s all I’d ever seen in wine merchants, restaurants and hotels but little did I know that we’d be tasting the new 2023 vintage of Minuty’s four Provence Rosé wines, three white wines and a red.
The Minuty vineyard in Provence spans 200kms, three appellations (Côtes de Provence, Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, Coteaux Varois-en-Provence) and four family generations. 90 per cent of the winery’s production is Rosé, with a recognised Minuty signature of freshness, finesse and elegance alongside a strong aromatic expression.
Founded back in 1930, Château Minuty, was classified a Cru Classé in 1955, and created the instantly recognisable ‘La Provençale’ bottle in 1960. Francois and his brother Jean-Etienne have built a family business into a global brand since 1990. Last year Minuity was acquired by LVMH with the ambition to take their wine to more glasses and restaurants around the world.
“I’ve always drawn inspiration from the principles instilled by my father, Étienne Matton, and my grandfather, Gabriel Farnet. I’m proud of what Minuty has become.
“For 30 years I’ve worked tirelessly to further the development and growth of the estate, alongside my brother Jean-Étienne.”
The new 2023 vintage white wines we enjoyed were:
M de Minuty Blanc (Launching soon £18.99/£14.99 mix six at Majestic Wines)
A blend of 95% Rolle and 5% Ugni Blanc, this is one lively white, with crisp fresh acidity, full of citrus aromas and flavours of grapefruit and green melon. It’s a simple, easy drinking wine and which can be enjoyed on its own or with your favourite white fish.
Minuty Prestige Blanc (£21 at Clos 19)
Feeling very honoured to be one of the first people in the UK to taste this wine. Minuty Prestige wines have been showcasing the terroirs of Provence for over 25 years. A blend of 98% Rolle, 2% Clairette, this wine has been produced to express the freshness and elegance of the Rolle grape variety. Think intense aromas and subtle flavours, white flowers, lemon, pineapple, with great length. It’s a great aperitif, but you may need to wait until next year before you can enjoy this one in the UK.
Minuty Blanc et Or
Francois introduced this as “an estate wine destined for Michelin restaurants”. A blend of Rolle (75%), this cuvee showcases the aromatic richness of the Sauvignon Blanc (20%) and Viognier (5%) grapes. Despite being full bodied, this wine is balanced, light and fresh with good acidity. This wine is crying out for food, oysters, seafood platters and steak tartare all springs to mind. To savour this wine, a visit to London’s Rosewood Hotel is essential. They currently hold exclusive access within the UK, and trust me, it’s well worth the trip.
With 20% Sauvignon Blanc in the blend, he believes Blanc et Or “could be a big competitor for Pouilly-Fuissé”. And for an even better experience, enjoy it on the Rosewood Terrace paired with the menu at Villa Minuty.
The new 2023 vintage Rosé wines included:
M de Minuty (£16.50-£18.99 from Clos 19 and Majestic Wine)
The flagship rosé from Minuty and the one most of us have probably heard of, if not tasted.
Its bright, vibrant, and its slight sweetness tempers its liveliness. Château Minuty is one of Provence’s last vineyards to hand-pick grapes and in this wine, you’ll find a blend of Grenache (60%), cinsault (30%) and Syrah (10%) grapes, all of which have been grown with HEV certification (High Environmental Value).
Minuty Prestige Rosé (£21-24 from Clos, Majestic Wine, Harvey Nichols)
Crisp and clean, a wine that will linger just long enough on the palate, with flavours of red berries followed by notes of apricot. It’s a blend of grenache (70%) and Syrah (15%) which ensure elegant and aromatic complexity. Finishing off the blend is Cinsault (5%) adding vibrancy, and Rolle (10%).
Chateau Minuty Rosé Et Or (£28 from Clos and Harvey Nichols)
Made with hand-picked grapes from three terroirs – grenache (80%) provides body whist the Syrah (10%) gives it a delicious roundness, plus Cinsault (5%) and Tibouren (5%). This is a special wine, fresh, light, with a minerality and enhanced by salinity. A very versatile wine when it comes to food pairing, choose from oysters to spicy Asian cuisine.
Chateau Minuty 281 (£55 from Clos and Harvey Nichols)
You can’t miss this bottle, its iconic and that exactly what influenced François when designing the bottle. “Blue is rarely used in the wine business”, but François wanted
something that made his wine bottle easily recognisable from other wines, as it sat in a chilled ice bucket, in restaurants across the world. The Deep Blue is the Pantone Blue 281 (hence the name) and makes him think of the sky, the ocean and the sea. It’s fuller bodied than the other wines, with citrus and exotic fruits, whilst maintaining its freshness.
This wine is made for food, in fact, I wouldn’t drink it without food. We were treated to Saffrom Risotto, scallop and gremolata but this wine can cover all courses. Next time I’m thinking of rich spicy curry or a whole lobster.
“What is the future of Minuty? It’s white wine”, very much focused on producing quality white wines from Provence that will rival the very best produced in regions like Burgundy.
