Join Alison Kent of the Home Kitchen and Barb Wild of Good Wine Gal as they explore the world of Rosé Wines throughout the Month of May over this 5-week Series!
Don’t miss the whole Series!
INTRODUCTION
Welcome back to Rosé All May!
A great place to start with Rosé is France – either Provence, the Rhone Valley, the Languedoc or even the Island of Corsica. Here you will find Rosé in various shades of pink deliciousness. France produces more Rosé than anywhere else in the world. Prices vary but generally $20 is a good price point from which to start your tasting adventure.
Rosé can be made from almost any red wine grape, and is usually blended sometimes with other red grape varieties but sometimes also white wine grapes. There is a lot of freedom for making roses in the new world, which is defined as” outside of Europe”. Think of it as outside of credo that come from tradition.
Is there a benefit to blends versus single varietals? Is there a benefit to blends versus single varietals? In a word – yes. Blends by design are a sum of the parts. These parts of wine character support each other to create more in the glass. For example, the blending of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, and Mourvedre brings complexity – or at least that’s the idea. Single variety Rosé can be great if the fruit brings with it interesting aromas and flavours that match the expectation and provide a wonderful taste experience. This week we are tasting Rosé blends but next week we have Clos du Soleil’s Rosé which is 100% Malbec. The following week we will explore 100% Pinot Noir Rosés – one of my favorite styles.
In general Rosé’s is a winemaker’s whim of fruit and style and certainly dependent on what the vineyards and grape growers in the region have to offer.
BARB’S FUN FACTS
Have you heard of Tavel? Tavel is a wine region in the south of France only making Rosé. These wines are light to deep pink hues, full bodied with aromas and flavours of red fruits along with texture and balance. The grapes are predominantly Grenache and Cinsault along with support from Syrah and Mourvedre.. These Rosés are often over $40 a bottle in our local BC market. If you see a bottle of Domaine de la Mordoree, grab it quickly and take it home. This is a great surf & turf wine.
Can we drink Rosé year round? Heck yes! Winter Rosé is a thing. What to look for? Wines like Tavel, mentioned above or rose from Bandol, another historic wine region in the south of France known for fantastic wines made from Mourvedre and this include rose too. In the BC market Bandol rose is hard to find but like Tavel, if you find a bottle, grab it quickly and steal it home. These rarer styles are pricey but worth both the search and the pocket pierce. For Bandol, look for Domaine Tempier. This is a classic producer with a long reputable history. Prices will be $35 and up if you can hunt one down.
WHAT WE’RE TASTING THIS WEEK
This week’s wine choices were based on the Grenache grape! If you missed our first post that included the details about the grapes that make roses in Provence and Southern France here is the link.
We are starting with “Côte des Roses” by Gerard Bertrand, followed by a new offering from same called “Source of Joy” (which truly is) and finishing with a southern Rhone Rosé called “Esprit du Rhône”
TASTING NOTES:
Côte des Roses 2019
A> Well, I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by it’s cover, but this is one of the prettiest bottles I’ve ever seen! Glass rose on the bottom, glass ‘cork’ on top – SIGH. For my taste, I didn’t pull too much of the dryness or acidity I look for in a wine, but it was light and LOVELY. It felt balanced, without a lot of aftertaste (apparently called ‘length’ – see what I’m learning here?!). Would be good for sipping on a nice, ROSEY patio.
B> Here we have a classic provincial style Rosé with a beautiful pale pink hue, bright in the glass. The aromas are delicate and wafting red fruit, melon and citrus. The body is mid weight, with refreshing acidity. Flavours and aromas echo red fruit (unripe cherry, rhubarb) and melon (green & pink) finishing on a fresh and satisfying note that inspires another sip. For $22.99 this is good value. I love the bottom of the bottle and am willing to pay a little more for marketing as I keep the bottles for water and making cookies (use the bottom as a mould) Hey Alison – are we going to make some rhubarb hand pies?
Source of Joy 2020
A> Very light scent when I first opened the bottle – almost indiscernible strawberry, but tastes so much more complex than it appears at first. Is it sweeter? Drier? It pulls you back in for more sips, more swirls, more sniffs. I found it so interesting, but in a quiet way – a softer version of Clos du Soleil which I also quite enjoyed (next week!). I found myself reaching for it over and over.
B> This is such a perfumed style both floral and fruit. It’s a pretty pink hue in the glass. Aromas are delicate floral (white blossoms) red fruit (fresh tart berries), hints of garrigue (green cypress trees grow here). The body is full, with balanced acidity and alcohol, The freshness and subtle texture keep me coming back as this wine lingers with citrus (yellow grapefruit) notes to the end. Very good. This has not yet arrived in our BC market and I don’t know the price. We will keep you posted on this one!
Esprit du Rhône Rosé 2020
A> A FULL ON nose of florals! This one hit all my sweet nerves, but the taste isn’t near as pronounced as the scent. I found myself wanting pickled foods to balance it out, which it did quite nicely.
B>This is pale watery pink with aromas of red fruit (berry cherry), floral, and mineral although not very precise. This is a full bodied wine that has nice acidity and a good balance of components. On the palate red fruit and flowers with some mineral undertones continue. It’s refreshing to sip with a lingering finish. For $19.99 this is a good style and would suit a patio, a salad, and even some Miss Vickie’s Salt & Pepper chips.
Clos du Temple
B > In what seems like a lifetime ago, Gerard Bertrand presented his epic “Clos du Temple” Rosé – the worlds most expensive – at the Vancouver International Wine Festival with a promise that one day soon we enjoy this bottle in our market – if we could afford it. The price – $300.
What’s so epic about Clos du Temple? Firstly, Gerard Bertrand wines have a commitment to biodynamic/organic farming. This approach has led to GB being the largest biodynamic/organic producer in France.
The wine? Well it is a blend of several classic varieties and is built like a Temple – says Gerard! Cinsault is the foundation, Syrah is the wall, Viognier is the roof. This wine is full of energy, in a very unique bottle (square) and the wine is absolutely beguiling.
On the nose you find some elegant hints of oak along with red fruit (cherry), herbs (garrigue), spice, and salty mineral notes all riding on top of this textural wine.
We are going to open this bottle and celebrate the last of our 5 weeks of Rose All May and will share our experience with you live!
Don’t miss a week!
YOU MIGHT ALSO WANT TO CHECK OUT THESE OTHER SUGGESTIONS!
Not sure where it’s available, but this is a Pét-Nat! Pét-Nats are all the rage these days… Pétillant Naturel – Sparkling Natural Rosé, such as Philippe & Nicolas Vignerons Spontané Rosé!
Jane Bertch (La Cuisine Paris Cooking School, Paris, France)
Mathilde Chapoutier 2020 Grand Ferrage Rosé – Côtes de Provence AOC
This is a fantastic expression of Provencal rose from the daughter of famous Rhone master, Michel Chapoutier. It perfectly captures the lightness, elegance and freshness of the classic Provencal style.
You can read more about Mathilde here: https://terlato-mchapoutier.com/mathilde-chapoutier/
The new vintage will be in store shelves in mid-May.
Mark Shipway (DipWSET, FWS Advanced Sommelier)
Avril Creek Joue Rosé is amazing! It is unexpectedly deep and complex for Rosé. The color is darker than many Rosés with a cool tone, almost a tinge of purple, that is dramatic and gorgeous and in my opinion perfectly matches how it tastes. It’s wonderful on a Spring evening when the sun starts to dip, and it drops a few degrees. Sit on your balcony or deck and listen to the birds, and sip slowly.
Jolene Kolk (Pantry Studios Photography)
Do YOU have a favorite Rosé?
Let us know in the comments!
Links to the other weeks of Rosé here!!
Want to know more about wine tasting and finding ‘Good Wine’? Check out these Instagram TV LIVE’s I did with Good Wine Gal Barb Wild!
AND don’t miss out on Good Wine Gal’s Online Wine Sessions. Reserve your spot and join the Good Wine Gal community. I know I’ve been learning a LOT about wine, and I’m sure you’ll love them.
