Why we don’t make Rosé (yet) at Château Canon Chaigneau

We grow Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Pressac, the very grapes used to make Bordeaux rosé. So why don’t we make our own?

The answer is simple: we could, but we wouldn’t do it well enough.

Making rosé isn’t just “red wine made lighter”

A proper rosé is crafted differently from red. It requires:

• very gentle direct pressing,

• ultra-precise temperature control,

• and a fermentation process closer to that of white wine.

Rosé is about subtlety, freshness, and balance. If the fruit is over-extracted or the fermentation gets too warm, you lose what makes it shine.

And that’s where equipment matters

At Château Canon Chaigneau, our cellar is designed for red winemaking, not for the delicate precision rosé demands.
To do it right, we’d need thermoregulated stainless-steel tanks and a more refined system for controlling every step of the fermentation.
That’s a major investment, one we’d love to make in the future, but not today.

We’re not in the habit of cutting corners, so for now, we choose not to make rosé in-house.

So we found a wine that matched our standards

Our Le Rosé, named under the Famille Canon Chaigneau label, comes from a neighbouring estate we trust. Made from 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Petit Verdot, it’s a pale, elegant rosé with floral notes, juicy texture, and vibrant freshness.

Just the kind of wine we’d love to make ourselves, one day.

Until then, we’re proud to offer it in our seasonal mixed cases.
Because even if we didn’t vinify it, we chose it, and we stand by every drop.