Picking a rosé in the summer is like giving us the option of vacationing in Provence, Tuscany, Bali or the Maldives: all amazing choices and perfect in different ways. As we do once every couple of months, we round up 4 or 5 of the new releases or interesting wines we wanted to taste, and take them over to George’s for "Rosé Night." Sometimes we save a bottle that we have been gifted, and sometimes we search out a difficult find. Nicole was on the hunt for an orange wine this time…just to mix it up, but we couldn’t find one in Napa anywhere…so we stuck to pink!
Here are our choices for the evening and it’s worth a note that we had two new rosé aficionados invited to the evening. Not only was it great to see what they brought to the table (and yes, it was a test), but it’s always good to expand our palate a bit. Honorable mention, and not listed below, is the 2018 Clif Family Rosé. We love this wine and drink it as often as we can get it. It’s always perfect, bright, and full of white peaches. We definitely drank a couple of bottles of it on this particular evening, but below are some new picks that we haven’t covered before.
1. 2018 Etude Pinot Noir Rosé, North Canyon Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley
A lovely rosé trending toward salmon hue that is distinctive in the glass, leading to aromas of fresh cut strawberry, white peaches and pleasant floral aromas of tree blossoms. Flavors are similar, adding blood orange, watermelon, nectarine and cherry. Vibrant and lifted acidity, some minerality and a lingering, quenching mouthfeel.
2. 2018 Darms Lane Rosé of Pinot Noir
Aromas of strawberry and cherry with floral notes of citrus and jasmine. This rosé has a medium body with refreshing acidity, light tannins and a light creamy texture leading to a lingering red fruit finish. Delicious on its own as an aperitif, or will pair well with your grilled summer meals and salads.
3. 2017 Kale Rosé "MCGAH VINEYARD"
Watermelon rind and Freesia are persistent in the whole cluster pressed Grenache. Completely dry, this component of the blend is all about floral freshness and acidity. The Mourvédre brings weight, texture, color and spice. The Sonoma Coast Concrete Egg makes the wine round; the acidity is expressed more as minerality rather than tartness.
4. 2018 WAITS-MAST - Rosé of Pinot Noir
This rosé of Pinot Noir is a saignée from multiple vineyards in Mendocino County: Nash Mill vineyard in Anderson Valley, Mariah vineyard in Mendocino Ridge and Oppenlander vineyard in the Mendocino County appellation. The wine is a medium salmon hue and has a concentrated nose of orange peel, rose petals, alpine strawberry, and a hint of fresh mint. On the palate, the wine is generous, yet exhibits refreshing acidity, and echoes the nose of red fruits, ripe citrus, and tangy minerality. Light on its feet yet substantial enough to balance spicier summer dishes.
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