Description
The history of the chateau illustrates the ongoing relationship between the vineyard and a long line of wine growers on an exceptional terroir. Located in the commune of Meyreuil and just four kilometres from Aix en Provence, the old bastide of the Grands Carmes d’Aix monks, now the Chateau Simone, has been in the hands of the Rougier family since 1830. It is a mosaic of plots in a wooded setting. Reconstituted by the Rougier family after the phylloxera crisis, it is of exceptional average age, some plots are more than 125 years old!
The replacement of missing feet has always been rigorously practised. A vast variety of grape varieties is represented there. Cut into cups and tied on stakes, the vineyard is cultivated with tillage without weed killers or chemical fertilizers. The AOC “Palette” is located in the heart of Provence, just a few kilometres east of Aix en Provence. The vineyard covers about fifty hectares strictly delimited on scree soils derived from the limestone of Langesse, mainly distributed on hillsides facing the famous Sainte Victoire mountain and benefiting from a particular microclimate.
Tasting Notes
Grenache (45%), Mourvedre (30%), and Cinsault (5%), with some Syrah, Manosquin, Castet, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Muscat Noir (20% total)
“A pure, clean and perfumed wine, the 2025 Palette Rosé is one of the most impressive rosés ever produced at this address. Offering up aromas of blood orange, grapefruit, red berries, spices, spring flowers and rose petals mingled with a delicately exotic note, it’s medium- to full-bodied, dense and concentrated, with a fleshy, textured core of fruit framed by filigreed tannins and a limestone-driven tension that carries through to the long, ethereal and precise finish.”
[96+/100 Points – Yohan Castaing – June 2026 – www.robertparker.com]
