With the new rosé wine “Étoile”, which is composed of wines from Clos Mireille, Château de Selle and Château Romassan, the brothers Jean-François and Christian Ott – 4th generation in the family at Domaine Ott – wanted to reach the top in rosé wines and show what the three properties’ privileged locations in AOC Côtes de Provence and AOC Bandol mean for quality. The name Étoile (star in French) is taken from the company’s original logo, where a small star is included after the name Ott itself.
With a classic grape composition of 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre, an attempt has been made to bring together the typically salty, fruity and fleshy style of Clos Mireille, the finesse of Château de Selle and the structure of Château Romassan in a wine that corresponds to what the team behind Domaines Ott understands a great Provence rosé wine. After a classic rosé vinification with a short skin maceration and a pressing at low pressure, followed by a cool fermentation, the wine has been given a partial maturation in ceramic tanks, which preserves the wine’s purity and fruity character.
The result is quite impressive. In terms of colour, Étoile has the classic onion colour/orange hue, which is typical of a rosé from Provence. The scent is packed with exotic fruit nuances, freshness and a distinctive salty aroma, which gives both crispness and character. The wine is also very aromatic and appetizing in taste. The wine develops a powerful and structured style, with a velour, which nicely matches the crisp tones. The wine’s style will go very well with scallops in sauce, smoked salmon, pork and veal in light sauces and with poultry. It should not be served too cold – 8-10 degrees is the optimal temperature.
Ott is first and foremost the name of the family that founded the most prestigious winery in Provence – Domaines Ott, and not least those who know French will probably notice that “Domaines” here is written with an “s” at the end and thus indicates plural. Domaines Ott thus consists of three different, independent properties: Château Romassan in AOP Bandol and Château de Selle and Clos Mireille in AOP Côtes de Provence.
Back in 1896, the young agronomist Marcel Ott from Alsace embarked on a tour of France’s wine regions, where he trained in wine production. The journey finally ended in Provence, and in 1912 he found an estate, Château de Selle near Draguignan, which really inspired him and which he subsequently acquired. In 1930 he bought Clos Mireille at Brégançon and finally in 1956 Château Romassan in Bandol was added to the family’s portfolio of distinguished properties.
From the start, Marcel Ott had a single-minded ambition to create the best Provence wines from noble grape varieties, and he was in many ways a true pioneer in the area, which i.a. also meant that only organic fertilizers should be used in the vineyards and that the wines should be fermented with the grapes’ own natural yeast cells.
In 2004, Champagne Louis Roederer took over the majority of Domaines Ott – partly to secure the winery’s long-term future, partly to maintain its position as the most prestigious producer in Provence. However, the Ott family is still at the forefront in relation to the day-to-day management, currently represented by Jean-François Ott, who is the 4th generation in Domaines Ott.
