Spring is considered the official Rosé season, when everyone starts thinking it’s Rosé o’clock somewhere!
Ten years ago, I was begging my customers to try the dry, refreshing Rosés of Spain and to stop thinking all pink wine was white Zinfandel. Even with in-store tastings , it felt like I couldn’t give the stuff away. Fast forward to today and Rosés is practically flying out of the stores.
Where do Rosés come from? Well, there are the regional pink Rosés from such traditional locales: Provence, Rioja, Tavel, the Côtes du Rhône—and there are more pink wines from these classic places than ever before, and that means we need to pay attention to quality.
A good Rosé, by definition, should be bright, crisp, dry and mouthwatering with moderate alcohol. In the mouth, they should offer great acidity, a pithy tannin and a hint of minerality. Unfortunately, most domestic bottlings are sweet, with quite a bit of residual sugar and a “thicker” texture. This is because many rosés are made using the saignée method, juice bled off a fermenting tank to concentrate what remains, not so much a product as a byproduct. Often these are high in alcohol (more than 13.5%) rendering them too ripe and too fleshy to be refreshing.
Rosé should not be an afterthought or a by-product, but something that had to be grown and made in the vineyard, harvested early to ensure good acidity and low alcohol, and made judiciously to preserve aroma and freshness. Settling for anything less is selling yourself short.
Prices for Rosé can range all over the map from $6 to more than $25 a bottle. Since Rosé is usually cheap to make, spends almost no time in the cellar, and is released early: the cost of production is among the lowest of all categories of wine. It’s worth remembering that a pink wine’s main function is refreshment, and that can be done on the cheap. There are some Rosés, however, that have the pedigree, consistency and excellencethat are absolutely worth the higher price: Bandol, older Riojas and certain Txakoli Rosés. Normally, if you’re paying more than $25 a bottle, you’re almost certainly paying too much.
We offer two serious and affordable Rosés from Provence in our wine portfolio that are worth serious consideration.
La Belle Collette, Côtes de Provence, Provence, France
This one is a classic French Provençal Rosé blend from the sunny hills of the Château de Saint-Martin – one of the 18 Grands Crus Classés in Provence. La Belle Colette takes its name in memory of Colette, the Provençal writer. The wine’s bright fruity style is produced from six different grape varieties: Syrah (57%), Carignan (25%), Cinsault (9%), Grenache (7%), and Tibouren(2%). The floral and gourmet nose is delicate offering intoxicating fragrances of raspberry and strawberry with a hint of lavender. The palate is round and fresh, tasting of summer’s red fruits—strawberry, raspberry, hints of apple, pepper and caramel flavors. At once it’s thirst quenching and the velvety structure combines the fragrant flavors Provence in the fresh and delicate finish.
This Rosé is perfect as an aperitif on bright sunny days accompanied by Provençal style dishes, appetizers, summer barbecues and garden parties. This wine is a summer favorite.
Rose par Paris, Côtes de Provence, France
Rosé par Paris is a bright rosy pink versatile Provençal blend of 30% Grenache and 70% Cinsault. Produced by Domain de l’Allamande, a 74-acre family vineyard in the heart of the Pierrefeu area, with specific charaicteristics: limestone soils, a continental climate with a maritime influence, which give this wine a high minerality.
The nose is fresh and fuity with delicious aromas of citrus and berries. The flavors are refreshing with notes of rose water, cherry and strawberry backed by good zip. The finish offers a fresh burst of citrusy ruby red grapefruit and a zingy minerality. Delicious chilled on its own, or with salads, meat, or a Provençal meal. Serveat46-50°F/8-10°C
There you have it. our lovely Rosés!
If you’re interested in trying any or both of them:
Retailers: Use our contact page to contact us directly for distributor information.
Consumers: They can be had locally at Tinali Wines Inc., 2085 Route 88 # A, Brick, NJ 08724 or as your favorite local retailer to order them in for you.