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WTN: First rosés of summer

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Saina

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WTN: First rosés of summer

by Saina » Fri May 26, 2017 3:52 pm

Château Léoube Rosé de Léoube 2016Côtes de Provence; c.23€; 13% abv
Sari Wines import several very nice wines from the south of France. This Léoube rosé has been one of my favourites over the past couple summers. And I’m happy to see that the 2016 continues to be wonderful.

Pale colour. Lovely, pure strawberry aromas but with a savoury twist so it isn’t just about fruit. Same with the palate: it is ripe and fruity but with good acidity and tiny but enormously attractive reductive quality (are we to call it minerality now? :D ). It is not a heavy rosé nor is it an insubstantial, inconsequential rosé. It’s a serious wine. Good enough that I’ll forgive the price though it is a bit high for a rosé.


Domaine du Valdaray Bandol Rosé 2016
- Bandol; c.18€; 13,5% abv
And obviously this one is NOT imported by Sari Wines because Sari understands his rosés. This doesn't really have any dimensions apart from the strawberry aroma. It's full-bodied and slightly sweet and lacks nuance. It's monolithic though admittedly the monolithic aromas and sensations are perfectly enjoyable. Perfectly drinkable, but oh so boring after that lovely Léoube. How is it that such a full-bodied wine can paradoxically also seem a bit watery? And how can a watery wine paradoxically taste so alcoholic? Ok, I must be fair: I would not be this critical if this had been tasted before the Léoube. Had it been before, my main criticism would probably have been the price. Take 5€ away and I would still consider buying a couple more for the summer. I'd just chill it a bit more so the alcohol wouldn't taste so much. Adequate. But the Léoube was pretty brilliant.
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David M. Bueker

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Re: WTN: First rosés of summer

by David M. Bueker » Fri May 26, 2017 7:25 pm

Is it ever actually warm enough for Rosé in Helsinki?
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Tim York

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Re: WTN: First rosés of summer

by Tim York » Sat May 27, 2017 4:22 am

As it happens, last night we also had our first rosé of the warm season (if it lasts?). It was also a Bandol 2016, the supermarket's own brand called Expert Club, and was quite like Otto's but did not suffer from comparison with the outstanding Léobe and benefited from a more friendly price, c.€7. In previous years, the same supermarket stocked the Château Vannières Bandol rosé which was much more refined and subtle at about €12.

IMO Bandol makes some of the best rosé out there. More serious and structured than most others.
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