The first rosé Cru Classé de Provence from Moët Hennessy's Château Galoupet delivers on taste as well as on sustainability credentials
The Château Galoupet Rosé Cru Classé is presented in a sturdy, amber-hued bottle. It belies the beauty found within: a pale pink, crisp yet delicate premium expression of Provence that is bound to beguile.
But there’s a purpose to such presentation. Scan the QR code printed on the brown glass and you will find your way to a page that shows where each stage of the journey from the Galoupet grape to the contents of your glass takes place. You’ll find markers where the vineyards are located on the French Riviera within the Côtes de Provence, where the production of the oak barrels in which the wine ages takes place, and even the place where those distinctive glass bottles are made—each one 70 percent recycled glass and weighing in at 499g, 271g lighter that the average rosé bottle. You’ll also be able to locate where the cork stoppers were finished and the wax to cover them was produced. Lastly, back at the Galoupet estate, there’s a recycling marker signifying the end of the journey, with a note that urges drinkers, wherever they are in the world, to also recycle responsibly.
The takeaway is that the production of the wine and its packaging is considered and kept as close to source as possible. And this all plays into Chateau Galoupet’s commitment to sustainability.
A fairly recent addition to the Moët Hennessy stable, Château Galoupet nevertheless dates to the 18th century and consists of 77 hectares of protected woodland and 69 hectares of vineyards. The wine estate has been a Cru Classé since 1955—one of only 18 estates to be listed under this classification. In 2019, it was acquired by the wine and spirits division of LVMH, however, it is only now that the estate has released its first wines under the new ownership, having committed to stopping production for three years to focus on soil regeneration. The result is the Château Galoupet Rosé Cru Classé 2021, one of just two wines released so far, and the only one that’s available in Hong Kong.
Strawberry and peach. Citrus fruit and florals. A hint of sea salt. A dash of cedar. Vegetal notes. Enviable delicacy with a lingering, mineral finish. The wine is comprised predominantly of grenache, syrah, and local grape tibouren, which is said to add a bit of attitude to the resulting wine. This profile proves a versatile partner to a wide range of food, with the elegance and freshness that go well with seafood and lighter dishes, yet the complexity to stand up to bolder pairings.
An enticing tasting portrait isn’t the only thing that the Château Galoupet Rosé Cru Classe has going for it. Sustainability is a priority. Packaging, as mentioned, is paramount, and this is not to be sniffed at—packaging alone is responsible for 40 percent of wine industry emissions. And this concern prevails across the winery. Take the estate’s second wine, Nomade, a more easy-drinking rosé with notes of wild berries and pink grapefruit and an attractive minerality. This wine is packaged in a bottle made from 100 percent Prevented Ocean Plastic (POP), which is recycled PET collected from coastal areas at risk of plastic pollution. The bottles are flat—they even fit through a letterbox—to reduce carbon emissions during transportation by optimising packing space, and weigh just 63g.