Gathering at the home of our esteemed hostess Joyce Hornick and the grill master, David Hornick a delightful crowd was ready to sample an assembly of rosé style wines. As the flutes were with the us and the first wine up was a sparkler, a thirsty hi-ho greeted us at the door and the flutes were greedily unpacked and the Louis Bouillot NV Cremant d’Bourgonge rosé was poured into everyone’s glass as an aperitif. This sparkler has an almost salmon color with a nose of cherries, strawberries, and raspberries. These fruits carry over onto the palate with some great lemon creaminess to finish. This is getting the party stared off with a bang! If I had to pick only one sparkling wine I was allowed to buy, this would probably be it. It is an awesome cremant that could easily be taken for the “real thing”.
Cava was up next along with some really great appetizers including chilled tomato bruchetta and goat cheese with cherry pepper jelly. The cava was Gran Gestia Cava Brut NV Brut Rosé. The color on this cava was a very dark pink. It was almost a red. The nose was lovely with floral notes and of course, red berry fruits. The taste was much more acidic than the Bourgogne. There were fresh cranberries and young strawberries as well as lemon juice. I really enjoyed this wine a lot.
A cool cucumber soup followed and the still wines started to flow. The first was the 2006 Fleury Tavel Rosé. Again we had a wine that seemed almost red. It was very dark in the glass and had to be held up against the white paper to show its pinkness. There was an earthiness to this wine on both the nose and the palate that I greatly admired. It was not to everyone’s taste. The red fruits predominated, but this spoke of the Rhone valley. The esteemed Mr. Lloyd called it funky which is a word often associated with Rhone wines. I liked it. The next wine in my notes was the 2007 Mas Des Brassedes Costierres de Nimes. The nose of red fruits gave way to a creamier palate. This was good, but not as good as good as the Tavel to my way of thinking.
Next up on the agenda was a salad of spinach and grilled shrimp with balsamic vinaigrette. The first wine up in this course was the Schramsberg NV brut rosé. The nose seemed a little shy to me, but I got some red fruit, especially strawberries. The palate was much more expressive. Red fruit and lemon juice predominated. I was pleased to taste such a nice American sparkling wine. The next wine was a 2007 D’Autrefois Vin d’Pays Pinot Noir Rosé. This was an interesting wine. It was much more complex than the previous still wines. There were the classic red fruits on the nose, but also fall fruits such as apple and pear, and best of all, wet stone. These complex flavors carried over onto the palate. The minerality of this wine made it especially enjoyable for me.
The main course finally came out and we were treated to grilled herbed chicken with avocado salsa paired with fresh roasted asparagus, and roasted vegetable paella. The wines kept being poured as well. The first up was the 2007 Sobon Reserve Rosé. The nose on this wine was of bubblegum like the kind I would find in the dime pack of baseball cards I purchase as a kid. This was not good. There were also notes of nail polish remover which made me think the bottle was bad. I then went for the taste and my worst fears were confirmed. More bad bubblegum and other off flavors appeared. This is a winery whose products I LOVE. I assume this is either a bad bottle or a bad vintage. In any event I will try the 2008 next summer.
Then came the Camille Sauves NV Brut Grand Cru Rosé. This wine has IT all going on. There were layers upon layers of flavors on the nose. I got honey comb, red fruit, and citrus, just as a start. The taste was even more complex. The honey and honey comb flavors persisted, as did the red fruits. The citrus developed into a citrus custard sort of taste. The finish lasted so long I think I can still taste it. This was clearly the WOTN, but how often do you get to taste a grand cru champagne? This was a treat.
Our chef and all around gourmet guru, Mr. Ben brought out some delightful cheeses. I should report on cheese the way I report on wine. Each was unique with its own flavor profile and characteristics. The first wine out was Taltarni Brut Tache NV Brut Rosé Victoria and Tasmania. This barely passed for rosé it was such a pale pink. It was almost yellow. The nose was all fall fruits of pear and apple. The palate was given over to red berries and lemon juice with cream. It was a real Australian delight and nice pairing with the cheese.
The first still wine with the cheese was 2007 Lancyre Pic Saint-Loup Rosé. The nose was an interesting combination of fall fruits, red fruits and bubble gum. The bubblegum fell away on the palate and gave way to the traditional flavors of red fruit and citrus. The next rosé was the 2007 Chateau de Fesles Rosé D’Anjou. This also had an unusual nose with some mintiness joining the red berry part. The taste was a combination of the red berries and the fall fruits and the wine had a nice finish.
Finally, as if we needed it, came dessert. Dave grilled fruit kabobs with cinnamon apple glaze and Candy, undoubtedly under Chuck’s careful guidance, made a lime tart with fresh berries. To pair with this we were treated to Nicolas Feullatte NV Brut Rosé Champagne. This had a lovely, almost perfect pink color to it. It tasted a little sweet after all the dry roses we had been drinking. The nose contained molasses, kiwi, and strawberries. The palate gave way to some traditional toastiness, as well as the red fruit flavors. While I did not bring this I know that it was purchased for under $20!!! In this day and age, that is a steal!
When the last sip of champagne was poured it neared the witching hour. The moral fiber had cracked long before and a great time was had by all. I want to give a hearty thank you to Joyce and Dave for putting this event on. I can’t wait until next month.
