Dry Rosé: Not Just for Summer

Summer’s been over for a while. Sigh. But rosé season never really ends — at least it shouldn’t. I drink the pink year-round because I love the crispness of dry rosé and the food pairing options. And a lot of rosé wines get discounted after their summer heyday, so bargains abound.

These wines were received as trade samples and tasted sighted for a report on the daily wine blog Terroirist, where this piece was first published.

2013 Château les Crostes Côtes de Provence - France, Provence, Côtes de Provence
SRP: $21
On the nose, I get more sweet flowers than the other wines, along with strawberries and crisp watermelon. Tang and spritz on the palate, with nervy acid. Flavors of wild strawberries, watermeln rind, slight herbal element. Deep, concentrated minerality in this wine, which I really like. Complex, lively, memorable, this begs for summer cook-outs. (89 points)

2013 Domaine du Tariquet Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne Rosé de Pressée - France, Southwest France, Gascony, Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne
SRP: $10
The nose shows white cherries, strawberries, rhubarb and white pepper. Super tangy on the palate with tangy strawberries, grapefruit and lemon zinger tea. Spicy and crisp. 40% Merlot, 40% Syrah, 20% Tannat. (86 points)

2013 Domaine de Nizas Rosé - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc
SRP: $13
Salmon-copper colored. Smells of rose hips, white cherries, wild strawberries and a hint of green grass. Juicy and ripe on the palate with white cherry, strawberry and watermelon flavors. Medium acid provides some freshness while notes of white pepper and green herbs add some complexity. Fun stuff, albeit not the most complex pink. 40% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 20% Mourvedre. (85 points)

2011 Las Lilas Vinho Verde - Portugal, Minho, Vinho Verde
SRP: $10
A bright strawberry color with a lot of spritz in the glass. Smells of strawberries, white cherries, sweet roses and sweet candle wax. Crisp and fizzy on the palate, this is a bright watermelon and strawberry-driven wine, light bodied, fun but it’s also pretty, food-friendly and full of life. The boisterous fizz adds to the fun of the wine. I can’t think of a better way to spend $10 on a summer wine. Drink up, though. (86 points)

2013 Isabel Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon “Deep Rose” - California, Napa Valley
SRP: $20
Well, it’s a deep rose color for sure. I get lots of watermelon, strawberries and some spicy elements of pepper and rhubarb. Some good structure for a rose, with light tannins and fresh acid. Juicy white cherries, watermelon and some spice mix with white and black pepper. Tasty, picnic-friendly, crowd-pleasing. (86 points)

2013 Bodegas San Alejandro Calatayud Rosado “Las Rocas” - Spain, Aragón, Calatayud
SRP: $14
Bright watermelon colored. On the nose, I get cranberry juice, strawberries\, some sea salt, green and white pepper, some rose hips. Crisp acid and medium body, the wine shows crunchy white cherries and cranberries. Notes of white pepper and spiced citrus tea add complexity. A lot of fun to sip on its own, but this would be great with a backyard grill spread. 100% Garnacha. (87 points)

N.V. Domaine Carneros Cuvée de la Pompadour Brut Rosé - California, Sonoma, Carneros
SRP: $36
A bright strawberry-salmon color. Aromas of grapefruit, lemon tart, roses, some toasted bread. Crisp and nervy on the palate, with live-wire acidity and fine bubbles. Flavors of McIntosh apple, watermelon rind and wild strawberries, all of it clean and crunchy. Not incredibly deep in concentration or aging potential, but it’s showing a ton of precision and punch right now. A blend of 58% Pinot Noir, 42% Chardonnay. (90 points)