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Drinkable Pink This Autumn

Yes, Gary and I are still drinking rosé this fall, and we will continue to do so through the winter.  Our journey of drinkable pink wines has been a blast, and I want to share some of the bottles that we have sampled and loved.  Some of these new wines we now buy by the case as they are that good.
drinkable pink

Drinkable pink – two different tastings.

First, I taught a rosé class at Edison James Island as part of my educational wine tasting series. (Sign up here) A second tasting then happened a couple of days later when we invited a few neighbors at our house for happy hour. I had planned a four to five different wine tasting, and it turned into an eight to nine bottle tasting. Never a dull moment here.

drinkable pink

drinkable pink


* Drinkable Pink *

Rosés We’ve Been Drinking

Dracaena Wines Rosé of Syrah 2018, Paso Robles, California

The Dracaena (Drah-see-na), Wines Rosé of Syrah, was sent to me by my friend and fellow wine writer.  She does several podcasts (one of which I have been a guest a few times) as well as a blog. She is also a school teacher, and as if there is any more time in a day, she and her husband also make wine. They currently make three wines from sourced grapes in the Paso Robles area. Two wines are Cabernet Franc, and the other is this lovely Rosé of Syrah.

This wine is delicious.  There is a bit of heft in the body of this wine that makes it quite versatile. Not only is it an enjoyable cocktail wine but also an excellent food wine.

The color is medium to dark salmon. There is abundant and pleasing acid that lingers through the finish. You can expect tart ripe raspberry as well as some not quite ripe strawberry.

Dracaena Wines Rosé of Syrah sells for $20.00 a bottle directly from the winery. Sadly this year’s wine has already sold out, so you will need to try this one next spring when the 2019 vintage hits the market.


Pascal Jolivet Sancerre Rosé 2018, Loire, France

This wine is one of my top choices for rosé in 2018. We found this wine on the wine list at The Establishment when dining there for brunch. While most of our table chose the classic brunch drink mimosa, Gary and I chose this rosé. Bottles are half price on Sunday, so it was an easy choice to purchase this wine in a restaurant for $23.00. (normally $46.00). By the end of the brunch, half or more of the table had switched to the rosé. We ended up drinking three bottles together.

The grape used in this wine is 100% Pinot Noir, the primary red grape in Sancerre.

The Profile

This wine is also a tad on the darker side within the rosé category. I would call this wine a medium-dark salmon. Think Coho salmon. With my first sip, I am struck by the body of this wine. It has a rich and filling mouthfeel. As far as the acidity, I would call it medium first, but that shifts to bright as it lingers on in your mouth. I like to take a sip and let it sit on my tongue. Doing so reveals a hit of zest that I enjoy.

Overall I find this wine both juicy and refreshing. Notes of strawberry and other red fruits are complemented with notes of orange zest. As it lingers, more generic citrus reveals itself capped with that lingering acidity.

I have not found this wine for sale at retail, so I special order it by the case from Edmunds Oast Exchange. As such, I get the case discount making each bottle a value at $19.55.

Two Side Notes:

  1. Some have told me that when they see a darker rosé, they assume it will be sweet. Thanks, White Zin, but that s so not the case.
  2. Yes, a delicious rosé can be purchased for as little as $11-15 per bottle.  The high-end rosés are roughly $40.00 per bottle. Wines in general from Sancerre will start in the low $20s and go up from there. So to be able to get this wine for under $20 makes it a real value!

drinkable pink

2018 J. Mourat Collection, Val de Loire, France

This wine is another favorite of mine. Funny, I must have a thing for Loire Valley rosé. This one, though, is a blend of several varietals, including Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Négrette, and Gamay Noir.

Although not from the “classic” rosé region of Provence, this wine tastes classically French. It is crisp, yet perfectly balanced and round. I heard a fellow taster refer to this wine as “upscale,” and while that is not a descriptor that I would use, I must agree.

The Collection rosé is a light salmon color. On the palate, I find that the crispness is cleansing and the fruit juicy. There are notes of strawberry, tart cherry as well as tayberry.

This wine is sold at goat.sheep.cow.north  for $18.00 a bottle.  I called, and they have a few bottles on the shelf.  I suggest you head there now and buy them all up before I do.

Side Note:

I think most rosé should be consumed at a minimum of 50º degrees to really enjoy all it has to offer. The fruit flavors are much more prevalent at this temperature.


Maison de Grand Esprit 2017 L’Être Magique Côtes de Provence Rosé

Depending on where you live on the west coast, you could find this wine at Trader Joe’s on a steep discount. Sadly, that is not the case here on the east coast. We were introduced to this little beauty at a wine tasting at the Harbor Club as guests of our friend Steven. Hanging out with Steven is always fun. Add in our mutual friend Michael and laughs abound for hours on end. Needless to say, we had a blast at this event.

This Côte de Provence rosé is made from a blend of 55% Grenache Noir, 30% Cinsault, and 15% Syrah. The color is coppery pink.

This wine is crisp and clean with a generous mouthfeel. I find notes of citrus, strawberry, and tart rhubarb.  The fruit is somewhat muted perhaps because of the age of a wine meant to be consumed within a year, but that fact allowed for the mineral and earthy notes to shine.

If you can find this wine, buy it. I do not think you will be disappointed.

 


drinkable pink 2017 Populis Rosé of Carignane, Venturi Vineyard, Mendocino County

This wine was so much fun to drink with the neighbors because of the funk on the nose. Watching their faces as they were trying to identify what they were smelling was so exciting.

The juice for this wine comes from old vines. The color of the wine is medium coppery pink. The nose definitely had a funk to it. I got dirty diaper and wet forest floor. Other comments were wet moss and dirty feet. Do not let the initial funk scare you as the nose modulated into more benign and pleasant aromas as it had a chance to open up.

The first sip was effervescent. The fruit was an eclectic mix of unripe red Anjou pear, blood orange, and bell pepper with savory mineral notes.  Acidity lingers through to the finish.

I picked up this bottle at Edmust Oast Exchange last year. As I recall, it sold for around $20.00. I believe it is still available.

 


We have at this point an additional five rosés to share with you, but I will hold them for the next rosé post.

That is all for now.

Cheers,

rick


 

3 Comments

  1. Thank you so much for including us in Drinkable Pink! We are thrilled you loved our wine and we are excited to have the next vintage release in the Spring!

    • It is my pleasure. Last evening as we were drinking a bottle of your Cabernet Franc with friends who brought it over they were telling us how much their family up in Minnesota loves your wines that they shared with them. They see ordering more in their future.

      • That is so awesome! Thank you so much for sharing that story with me!

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