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Rosé seems to suffer a lack of love and appreciation, often being unfairly dismissed as just pink, sweet and cheap alcohol-water. But there’s a time and place for everything, and for the savvy wine enthusiast rosé offers opportunities to explore that few other styles can match.
The Stats
Appearance
Clarity: Clear
Intensity: Pale
Colour: Salmon
Nose
Condition: Clean
Intensity: Medium
Development: Youthful
Palate
Sweetness: Dry
Acidity: High
Tannin: Low
Alcohol: Medium+
Body: Medium+
Flavor Intensity: Medium+
Finish: Medium
Conclusions
Quality: Very Good
Readiness/Cellaring: Can drink now, potential to cellar
Identity: France / Côtes du Rhône (South) / Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre
Price: High-priced (RRP $30)
Notes
Long, thick tears
Aromas of strawberry, white peach, orange, lemon
Flavours of peach, honey, raspberry, lime, nectarine
Good, cleansing acidity
Very slight waxy texture
Serve as aperitif or light dish, chicken salad.
The Many Faces of Rosé
Elaboration
In my view, the attraction of rosé lies in the potential to display characters typical of both red and white wines while remaining harmonious. This usually isn’t an important consideration until you come across it’s opposite – disjointedness.
Think of it as a food and wine match, minus the food – in a sense the wine matches with itself. Scroll up and revisit the aroma and flavour elements – they may differ on a technical level, but will fit together on a subtler level. On the other hand, a profile of lemons and barnyard would seem out of place.
A little research revealed this wine was made in the Southern Rhône, where the Grenache varietal dominates and is supported by Syrah and Mourvèdre. This ‘GSM‘ combination is imitated worldwide, and may be one reason why this rosé seemed so approachable and put together well.
The harmony I mentioned above applies to texture as well as taste, and in this instance things were very well proportioned – really no tannin to speak of, just a light waxy impression that confirms the limited time spend on skins. While I can’t cite an example off the top of my head, I have tried some examples of rosé that did have a slight tannin grip. Such wines weren’t necessarily incoherent, as they would have been balanced with a deeper colour and concentrated flavour profile.
Most rosé lack staying power, so I was pleased that this wine remained poised and vibrant after two years in the bottle. Being sealed under screwcap would definitely have helped, and I am grateful to have this wine as the first rosé reviewed and featured on this blog.
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