5-Weeks of Rose-All-May | Week TwoJoin Alison Kent of the Home Kitchen and me, Barb Wild of Good Wine Gal as we explore the world of Rosé. Share in this 5-week blog series as we explore the South of France, Italy, BC and more. In case you missed our inaugural Rosé post, here's the link.  Rosé All May! Week Two - Sud de France A great place to start with Rosé is France - Provence, the Rhone Valley, the Languedoc or even the Island of Corsica. Here you will find Rosés 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. Is there a benefit to blends versus single varietal Rosés? In a word - yes. Blends by design, are a sum of their parts. It's these parts of wine character that 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 lovely 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 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.  BARB’S FUN FACTS Have you heard of Tavel? Tavel is just north of Nimes and known as a Rosé wine making region in the south of France where Rosé is the only style. These wines are full bodied with red fruit aromas and flavours noted for a darker hue of pink, although all shades from light to dark are produced. The grapes are predominantly Grenache, Cinsault, with a supporting cast of Syrah and Mourvedre. In our BC retail market, these roses usually start at $40 a bottle. If you see a bottle from Domaine de la Mordoree, grab it. This wine 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 Rosé from Bandol, another historic wine region in the south of France, just west of Toulon, known for fantastic wines made from Mourvedre (lead variety) and this includes Rosé. In the BC market, Bandol Rosé 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. Domaine Tempier is a classic producer with a long reputable history. Prices will be $35 and up and Liberty Wine Merchants is a good hunting ground.  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 Rosés in Provence and Southern France here is the link. We are starting with “Cotes du Roses” by Gerard Bertrand, followed by a new offering from same called “Source of Joy” (organic Rosé) and finishing with a southern Rhone Rosé called “Esprit du Rhône”.  Cotes de Rosés 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 rose 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 mold) Hey Alison - are we going to make some rhubarb hand pies?  Source of Joy 2020 - Organic Rose 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. 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 at Liberty Wine Merchants, this is a good style and would suit a patio, a salad with vinaigrette, and even some Miss Vickie's Salt & Pepper chips.  Clos du Temple 2019 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 may 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 lead to being the largest biodynamic/organic producer in France. This Rosé? Well it is a blend of several classic varieties, grown in ancient soils, had harvested and carefully guided through the winery. It is built like a Temple – says Gerard! "Cinsault is the foundation, Syrah is the wall, and 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 wild red berry fruit, delicate white stone fruit, green herbs and spice with a salty mineral note leading to a fine lengthy textured finish. 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! YOU MIGHT ALSO WANT TO CHECK OUT THESE OTHER SUGGESTIONS! It perfectly captures the lightness, elegance and freshness of the classic Provencal style. Jane Bertch (La Cuisine Paris Cooking School, Paris, France) said 'I'm 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. Jane's recommendation - Philippe & Nicolas Vignerons Spontané Rosé! Mark Shipway (DipWSET, FWS Advanced Sommelier) says, "Look for 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 and look out for it at selected private stores - Everything Wine, Legacy, etc. I will let you know when it has landed and available. Do YOU have a favorite Rosé? Let us know in the comments by posting below! 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. AND don’t miss out on all things Food, Wine & Kitchens - including artisan-crafted wares and e-design - at The Home Kitchen! Stay tuned as next week we start sipping BC!
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I blog about "good wine" and how to find it! Join me on my adventures of finding beautiful wine loving places, people and those special bottles we all get excited about. Archives
July 2024
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Photos from Magnus Reuterdahl, wuestenigel, Fareham Wine