Ouled Thaleb Tandem Rosé 2024

Tandem Rosé comes from Domaine Ouled Thaleb, the oldest winery in Morocco, founded in 1923 near Benslimane, between Casablanca and Rabat. It is produced in the Zenata guaranteed appellation of origin, on slopes between 300 and 700 metres above sea level. The vines grow there on clay and schist soils, under a Mediterranean climate tempered by the Atlantic influence, which keeps the grapes both fresh and ripe.

This cuvée, born of the meeting between Alain Graillot and Jacques Poulain, blends Grenache and Cinsault in equal parts, harvested at good ripeness. The grapes are pressed gently to extract a pale, delicate juice, then fermentation and ageing take place in stainless-steel tanks. This technical choice preserves the clarity of the fruit, the freshness and the aromatic brightness of the rosé.

This wine reveals notes of wild strawberry, redcurrant, raspberry, acacia blossom, orange zest, pink grapefruit, white peach and fresh fennel. Its pale, brilliant pink colour heralds a fruity, fresh, thirst-quenching palate with a food-friendly balance, which lingers on a slightly tangy finish.

In Morocco, the vine is no recent fashion: it is thought to have been introduced nearly 2,500 years ago by the Phoenicians, before being widely developed under Roman rule, when the area around Volubilis, at the gates of Meknès, whose ruins still stand, was already the great winegrowing centre of Antiquity. Long confined to local consumption and table grapes, the vine really took off under the French and Spanish protectorates in the early 20th century: grape varieties from southern France and Spain were planted to produce powerful wines, shipped to Europe for blending. Independence, followed by a steep rise in alcohol taxes in the late 1970s, triggered a long crisis and the grubbing-up of tens of thousands of hectares. The revival began in the 1990s, with the arrival of investors, the replanting of quality grape varieties and the modernisation of wineries. Today the kingdom stands as North Africa's leading wine producer, with around 400,000 hectolitres a year, some fifteen guaranteed designations of origin and one controlled designation of origin, Coteaux de l'Atlas. The vineyards are concentrated in the hinterland of Casablanca, around Benslimane and Boulaouane; on the Saïss plain around Meknès, which accounts for most of the production thanks to the altitude of the Atlas foothills and its cool nights; and as far as Berkane, in the east, under Mediterranean influence. The hot, dry climate is tempered by Atlantic breezes and by the terrain. As for grape varieties, Cinsault, Grenache and Carignan make up the historical heritage, alongside Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and newcomers such as Marselan and Tempranillo. Morocco also excels in rosés and its famous light, fruity vins gris, while Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Clairette produce whites that are improving markedly. A wine destination still little known, but very much on the move.