Over the past few years American consumers have seriously wised
up to the fact that pink wine is awesome.
Living in the capitol swamp of DC, I spend much of the summer hiding from the midday or
fleeing the city for the Jersey Shore. When I’m stuck here on a hot day,
though, popping a bottle of rose is always a good idea. With the heat and
humidity on the horizon, I attended a rose tasting put together by my good friends Brett
and Alyssa for Brett’s birthday. He graciously brought almost all of
the wines from his collection. (Who knew a metalhead had so much pink wine?) The wines paired very well with a melange of sushi, cured meats and cheeses. We
popped all the bottles and helped ourselves, revisiting the wines over the
course of the evening, checking their evolution, discussing the nuances. I dutifully took notes, and here they are...
Old World Roses
We had a great selection of roses from different
regions of France, and a Lopez de Heredia thrown in for good measure.
2010 Domaines Ott Côtes de Provence Rosé
Château de Selle - France, Provence - The
bottle is shaped like some French perfume. Very light copper color. A burst of
lemon and wild strawberry on the nose. Sharp acid, mineral-driven, with flavors
of wild strawberry and white pepper. Finishes with soft tannins. Lots of focus
on the minerals here, less in the way of flavors I usually associate with
Provence, but a lovely style. A blend of grenache, cinsault, syrah, cabernet
sauvignon. (90 pts.)
2011 Domaine de la Mordorée Côtes du
Rhône Rosé La Dame Rousse - France, Southern Rhône, Côtes du
Rhône - The bright strawberry color stands out among some of the paler
shades of pink at the tasting. Nose of cherry candy, macintosh apples and a hint
of pepper. The palate shows significant tannins, which back up the sweet cherry,
strawberry and peppert flavors. This is a hefty rose, but absolutely delicious.
(89 pts.)
2011 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon
Rosé - France, Loire Valley, Chinon - I've heard good
things about this wine, and I'm officially on board. Light copper color with a
bit of a spritz in the glass. Elegant aromas of peach, white flowers and
tangerine. On the palate it starts off plush, but then the acid streaks through,
creating a palate-coating effect without being heavy. I love the strawberry and
white cherry fruit, which is underlined with limestone and lemon. Very long
finish. Lovely stuff and it paired perfectly with sushi. (91
pts.)
2011 Château de Peyrassol Côtes de
Provence Rose Commanderie - France, Provence - Very pale cherry color, almost clear. Melon rind and peach
aromas, along with pepper and underbrush. Lots of pepper on the palalate, along
with wild strawberry and lemons. Huge acid on this wine, which carries to the
finish and leaves the palate refreshed. Very elegant. Grenache, cinsault and
syrah. (90 pts.)
2000 R. López de Heredia Rioja Rosado
Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia - Spain, Rioja - This is the third time I've had this wine, and, while I enjoy it, I
don't love it. Sorry, I know a lot of people at the tasting raved about this
wine, but for my palate it didn't hold up against some of the other excellent
roses in the tasting. Tangerine color. It smells like cheese rind, strawberry
greens and a canteloupe melon that's been left out in the sun for a long time.
Austere acid on the palate. The best part about this wine is the minerals, which
are fresh and lively. Thick mouthfeel with macintosh apple and brie rind
flavors. This is a really nerdy wine that is fun to sip and dissect with others,
but in the end, if I'm pouring myself a glass of rose on the porch, I'd go for
something else. (86 pts.)
2009 Clos Cibonne Tibouren Côtes de
Provence Cuvée Spéciale des Vignettes - France, Provence - Orange/copper color. Aromas of watermelon, kumquat and
marijuana, seriously. The palate shows juicy cherries and strawberries, along
with a nice herbal-hemp flavor. This wine tastes old school, like it was made
without much technology, and I like that. It definitely stood out as a funky,
quirky wine. (87 pts.)
New World Roses
Of course, this was Brett's birthday,
so his favorite region, the Pacific Northwest, was heavily represnted. I haven't been following roses
from Oregon and Washington, but I clearly need to, because there are some great
pinks out there.
2011 Gramercy Cellars Olsen
Vineyard - Washington, Columbia Valley - This wine is
unfiltered, showing a slightly cloudy pink color. Aromas of lemonade, roses and
pepper. Lots of strawberry fruit on the palate, with tangy acid, medium tannins
and a rush of minerals. Anise and hints of tobacco add even more complexity. It
maintains elegance the whole time. The winemakers admit this wine is inspired by
Chateau Peyrassol. While drinking that wine, they realized they had the exact
same varieties planted in their Olsen Vineyard and decided to make a rose. The
end result is delicious, a rose that clearly pays homage to Provence, while
still showing its Columbia Valley roots. A blend of cinsault, grenache, syrah.
Stellar stuff. It was really fun to drink this alongside the 2011 Chateau
Peyrassol and compare them. (91 pts.)
2011 Sleight of Hand Cabernet Franc
Magician's Assistant Rosé - Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla
Walla Valley - Neon strawberry color. Initially, the nose reminded me of a
highland single malt scotch, with this kind of caramel, toast and apple. That
blew off a bit, and the macintosh apple aroma really came to the forefront. The
palate shows tangy acid and sweet fruit, candied cherries and watermelon. I like
this, but it lacks the minerality and complexity of some of the other roses in
the tasting. (86 pts.)
2009 Cayuse Grenache Edith
Rosé - Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla
Valley - This is a bold rose that demands attention. Very light copper
color with thick legs. The butter and spice on the nose reminds me of
chardonnay, but there's also some melon and peach. On the palate, this is
definitely the creamiest wine of the bunch. It's like drinking whipped fruit.
Lots of red apple skins and strawberries, along with butter and cream. Very long
finish. This is a much different style, but I still loved it. I imagine this
would actually be better on the second day or with another year in the bottle.
2009 Cameron Saignee of Pinot
Noir - Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills - This was
my wine of the night for sure. I've swooned for Cameron pinot noir in the past,
and this wine is like a lighter version of the Clos Electrique pinot I love so
much. It's a vibrant strawberry color in the glass. Complex aromas of beef, goat
cheese, fresh cherries, oregano. The palate is bold and palate-coating, with
cool cherry and raspberry fruit. It softened up a lot with time and got more
expressive with rose, potpourri and mushroom flavors. There's a lot of cut on
the palate, which keeps it fresh. The flavors in this wine are so pure, that's
the best way to describe it. They evolved almost every minute, showing flashes
of mushroom, cassis and all sorts of nuances. Incredibly long finish. This wine is made by bleeding off 10% of each fermenter of pinot noir and then fermenting
the rose-colored juice in neutral oak barrels. Thanks, Brett, for bringing this
and showing me once again that Cameron is one of my favorite producers, period.
I don't put a lot of weight on scores, but I'm not kidding with a 93. Stunning.
(93 pts.)
Bubbles
A Champagne shines, while a cremant de Bourgogne
sucks ass.
N.V. Simonnet-Febvre Crémant de Bourgogne
Brut Rosé - France, Burgundy - I couldn't
name a specific fault in this wine. Maybe something's chemically wrong
with it, but I'm not sure what it is. If it's not flawed, it sure sucks. Bright
pink color in the glass. Aromas of underripe cherries and seaweed. The palate
shows lots of acid along with bitter cranberries and bug spray. Gross stuff. I
let it sit for a while, came back to it, and it was still crappy. Scoring this wine would be an exercise in futility.
2008 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard
Champagne Blanc de Noirs Les Ursules - France, Champagne - What
a phenomenal Champagne. Complex aromas of toasted baguette, key lime and yeast.
The acid in this wine is pure and bright, and it just rips across the palate.
Intense lemon curd and key lime flavors and a lot of crushed limestone and
minerals. This wine is so damned young and powerful, and definitely needs time
to sleep, but it's pedigree is undeniable. (92 pts.)
Non-Pink Wines
A Cameron chardonnay and a quality pinot noir... a great way to finish off the evening.
2000 Cameron Chardonnay Blanc Abbey
Ridge - Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills - I've never had a
Cameron chardonnay this old, so it was really interesting to taste one with 12
years of age. Beautiful golden color in the glass. Aromas of pear, honey and
wax, a little bit of oxidized aromas as well. Some butterscotch aromas came out
with time. The palate is thick but high in acid. It has a kind of aged vin jaune
aspect to it, with butterscotch, peanut shell and wax. Underneath, the flavors
of yellow apple and honey show through. Lovely acid lingers on the long finish.
Delicious stuff, and this got better and better with more air. It's probably
time to drink up, though, as the oxidized flavors are quite strong. (90
pts.)
2010 Domaine des Moirots
Givry - France, Burgundy, Givry - I loved the
2009 vintage, and the 2010 is excellent as well. Bright cherry color. Smoky
fruit on the nose, like someone threw cranberries on the grill. There's a musk
and beef broth aroma too that I love. Sweet cherries on the palate, along with
flavors of broth amd musk. Very savory, but still light and balanced. Tastes
great now, but I'd love to taste it again in five years. Considering the price
and quality, I need to buy up a whole bunch of these. (90
pts.)
No comments:
Post a Comment