Wine Focus for June 2018: Rosé!

2017 Bodegas Borsao Campo de Borja was the reception wine at last weeks tasting downtown. Good value at $16 Cdn, more of a salmon color than pink. Juicy, strawberry with a flowery hint of sweetness on the nose. Seemed to be well received.

2017 Los Vascos Rosé, Chile. Just under $20 Cdn, blend of syrah and cab sauv. I would buy this for a nice patio evening. Excellent finish, tart, redcurrant, flew off the shelf.

Last week I spent some time in the Finger Lakes region and of course I had to do some tasting at wineries. For the last few years, many FL wineries have put an increased emphasis on the quality of their dry rose wines (it previously seemed like an afterthought - many insipid wines). Here is one that was perfect refreshment on a hot, humid day:

2017 Hosmer Dry Rose of Cabernet Franc, Cayuga Lake AVA: Very attractive coral color, fairly well saturated. Effusive nose of red cherry candy and maybe a touch of tar and herbs. On the palate, this is bright, packed with strawberry and watermelon fruit, with some white pepper and a decent chalky finish. Just the right amount of RS to give it balance. Screw cap, 12.4% abv, $13

While the above wine was one of the better '17 dry roses I encountered, others to look for are from Sheldrake Point (also CF), Red Tail Ridge (Pinot Noir - great nose) and Fox Run (CF with some Blaufrankish).

Aaagh, another Fox Run fan!

When I first started taking an interest in wine (about 60 years ago ), Tavel, situated on the right bank of the Rhône close to Avignon using a red Rhône blend of grapes, used to boast about having "the greatest rosé in the world". The appellation certainly rested on its laurels for a long time and few serious wine lovers would support that claim nowadays in spite of the efforts of estates like Mordorée and Aquéria.

2016 Antoine Ogier Tavel Héritages - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Tavel (6/20/2018)
The quite deep ruby colour, roundness and rose scented fruit which I noted last year are still there but the acidity is less fresh making for a less appealing drink. Some experts claim that Tavel ages well. Maybe this one is in an out-of-balance phase on the way to more complexity, but I doubt it. Quite good.

Posted from CellarTracker

At Capital Grille in Raleigh on June 4th:

2015 Chateau d'Esclans Whispering Angel Rose'
Pale color, scent and flavor of pale cherries, white peach. Slightly acidic. Chilled enough that fragrance was subdued. Server said wine was slightly effervescent but it was hardly noticeable.
(It was Triangle Restaurant Week and I had a very pleasing three-course meal for $35 excluding beverages and tax and tip--Caesar salad, salmon with citrus, almonds, and brown butter, and crème brulee. Sides with the entrée were haricots vert with roasted onion and tomato and mashed potatoes which seemed to have a lot of flavor--I thought maybe it had a mushroom broth-- but server said it was just red bliss potatoes, cream, butter and salt done just right. I had a French 75 cocktail as well as the glass of rose' wine.)


At Parizade in Durham on June 6th (still Triangle Restaurant Week):

2013 CataldoCalabretta Ciro Rosato, Calabria, Italy. The grape is Gaglioppo. Grapes are harvested by hand and the wine uses native yeasts for fermentation. The wine was too chilled to emit much fragrance but was a pretty orangeish color. It was plea.sing on the palate with some pomegranate flavor and orange peel or orange zest and a firm minerality. It was nicely balanced and refreshing.
I had a three-course meal of gazpacho with Feta cheese and cucumber, stuffed chicken breast (spinach, goat cheese, yogurt, quinoa and diced tomato) and berry shortcake for $35.00. I had a Manhattan cocktail in addition to the glass of wine.

At Gravy in Raleigh on June 7th (the restaurant was not participating in Triangle Restaurant Week):

2016 Vecchia Torre Levarano Rosato, Puglia, Italy. This was a charming rose'. I called it a vivid rose color. The website says bright pink with violet highlights. The wine list description was "soft, tangy, with hints of berries." That's pretty accurate. Light and refreshing with strawberry and pale cherry notes and a barely palpable citrus note.
Dinner was Bucatini Carbonara and a dessert of Budino (a layered custard dessert that was delicious) without the whipped cream.
I just looked online and the wine is available at a Raleigh wine shop for $8.99 plus sales tax. I will have to secure a few bottles for summer.

Nice notes JC. The Angel is $35 Cdn up here...ouch.

Picked up the new Lancyre vintage today, one of my go-to rosés..but you all knew that!

Aaagh, another Fox Run fan!

Let's just say I liked their rose! On my recent trip, I was trying to stop in a few places I haven't visited in awhile, and Fox Run was on the list. They weren't tasting some wines I would have wanted to try, like the Cab Franc. Overall, not bad wines, sort of commercial, but on the west side of Seneca Lake I'd say that Red Tail Ridge, Ravines, Kemmeter, Shaw and Wiemer are probably the best stops for a wine geek. But you can actually buy Fox Run in Alberta, so that is a plus.

[Robin Garr]

La Spinetta 2017 "Il Rosé di Casanova" Toscana Rosato ($19.99)

Very pale, pretty pink, the color of a light pink rose. Light, subtle, but clean and fresh cherry and berry aromas lead into a surprisingly bold flavor, tart and palate-cleansing, with zippy dried-cherry and cranberry flavors lasting into a very long finish with moderate 12.5 percent alcohol. A blend of equal parts Sangiovese and Prugnolo Gentile, itself a form of Sangiovese grown around Montepulciano in Tuscany. U.S. importer: Indigenous Selections LLC, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (June 11, 2018)

FOOD MATCH: As with most rosés, it's fine on its own or as a partner with summer salads and hors d'oeuvres. I like them also with hot-and-spicy dishes. This one went very well with a more substantial dinner of Beyond Meat hot Italian sausages over pasta in a fresh tomato sauce.

WHEN TO DRINK: Best over the next year or two; rosé is not for cellaring.

VALUE:
I paid a few bucks over Wine-Searcher.com's $17 average retail, but I'm not complaining too badly about this price tag for a fine Italian rosato.

WEB LINK
Here's a La Spinetta Rosato fact sheet on the web page of Skurnick Wines, another importer.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and locate vendors for La Spinetta "Il Rosé di Casanova" on Wine-Searcher.com.

[Robin Garr]

Calvet 2015 Crémant de Bordeaux Brut Rosé ($16.99)

This clear, pale copper color rosé wine is made in Bordeaux from 100 percent Cabernet Franc grapes. It pours up with a thick, frothy white mousse that falls back to reveal a shower of tiny bubbles that diminish with time in the glass. Mixed fruit aromas offer hints of apple, pear and strawberry with light 11.5% alcohol, leading into a prickly, dry flavor of light red berries that hangs on in a long finish. U.S. importer: Calvet USA, Miami. (June 21, 2018)

FOOD MATCH: Fine by itself or with salads; it was a delight with a simple, summery chicken salad with celery, walnuts, red bell pepper and a hint of curry flavor.

WHEN TO DRINK: I don't see any sense in keeping rosé. This three-year-old is hanging in there just fine, but drink it, don't stash it in a cellar.

VALUE:
It's a fine value in the middle teens, like my local price and Wine-Searcher.com's $17 average retail.

WEB LINK
Here's a fact sheet from U.S. distributor Calvet.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Find vendors and compare prices for Calvet Crémant de Bordeaux Brut Rosé on Wine-Searcher.com.

Finally! I'm so pleased to hear about a dry rosé of Sangiovese from Italy. We've been doing this at Villa Ragazzi in Napa Valley since 2012 (we got the alcohol down to 11.6% in 2017, pale and delicate but full of flavor) and I was puzzled that the Italian version was AWOL in the US - until now. Sangiovese's natural acidity and flavors make for lovely dry rosé. Guess what? ours works with chicken curry (mild), Dungeness crab, honey-baked ham...and we're about to find out how it works with smoked trout dip.

Just opened up the 2017 Lancyre, will try with a curried cauliflower and lentil soup.

With only one day of June left, I haven't been able to get to a caviste who might offer a "luxury" rosé, so I have tried nothing really interesting.

2016 Château de la Bégude Côtes de Provence - France, Provence, Côtes de Provence (6/27/2018)
Once again similarity of estate names fooled me when buying. I thought I was buying a wine from the well regarded Bandol estate Domaine de la Bégude. This was an OK run-of-the-mill Provençal rosé. Slightly less pale in colour than many with agreeable strawberry tinged fruit and passable acidity and backbone. Quite good.
Posted from CellarTracker

Last Thursday I attended a tomatoes and rose' summer wine dinner at Bridge Club in Raleigh (James Beard Award- Winning Chef Ashley Christensen.) I will report on it later today or on July 1st although I didn't take extensive notes. Also, the next day I picked up two bottles of a Portuguese rose' at Westgate Wine after tasting it in the store. I will open one bottle soon and report on it in July.

Tomatoes and rose. What an idea! Sounds like fun.

[Robin Garr]

Tomatoes and rose. What an idea! Sounds like fun.

I agree ... summery, sweet-tart, what a combination. (We did a decent rosé with Uova in Purgatorio/Shakshuka recently, and it was a great match.)

2016 Chateau de Lancyre Pic St Loup.

Always one of my go-to Rosés. 40% Syrah, 40 Grenache, 10 Carignan, 10 Cinsault. Diam-style cork, 14% alc, $26 Cdn.
Some floral tones on the nose, strawberry, mineral too. Long length, delicious, medium-bodied, held up well over 3 days. Lively acidity here with reddish berries. Has a hint of spice added to the pleasure. Buy again!

That's a nice one, Bob, I'll look out for it.

Here is a good one from Corsica, the French region with which I am least familiar. I must try to remedy that because there are a lot of original flavours coming from that island's indigenous grape varieties and terroirs.

2016 Clos Sonnenta Corse Rosé - France, Corsica, Corse (7/2/2018)
About a year after my two previous bottles, I like this pale coloured pink from Niellucciu, Vermentinu and Syrah just as much, if not more. It is distinguished from most pink by its lively berry fruit, fine minerals, tangy acidity and grippy backbone. Moreish but at a modest 12.5% alcohol that does no harm. Good+.

Posted from CellarTracker

[Jenise]

La Spinetta 2017 "Il Rosé di Casanova" Toscana Rosato ($19.99)

I've never seen it at $17 either, always $20+ out here, but I'll buy it whenever I do see it. Definitely a fave.

[Jenise]

When I first started taking an interest in wine (about 60 years ago ), Tavel, situated on the right bank of the Rhône close to Avignon using a red Rhône blend of grapes, used to boast about having "the greatest rosé in the world". The appellation certainly rested on its laurels for a long time and few serious wine lovers would support that claim nowadays in spite of the efforts of estates like Mordorée and Aquéria.

Interesting statement. I love Tavels and would say they're the most distinctive roses--by 'distinctive' I mean the easiest to recognize in a blind tasting. Did not used to like them--a little bitter, a little sherryish, and sometimes a hint of RS--and now I love them for just those reasons. And Mordoree is probably my favorite of all.

I'm a little late reporting on this--the dinner was held at Bridge Club in Raleigh June 28th. Ashley Christensen, James Beard award-winning chef, is the owner of this event venue above her restaurant Death and Taxes. I was able to speak to Ashley and tell her that when I attended a tasting at Failla Winery in Sonoma County in January one of the employees said Ashley had prepared food for their release party!

First course was a heirloom tomato salad with burrata, grilled bread (baked by the pastry chef) and tomato vine vinegar (also some basil leaves) paired with DOMAINE BLANC & FILS ROSE' OF GAMAY, SAVOIE, FRANCE 2017. The Gamay rose' was very light and refreshing and a great pairing with the delicious first course.


Second course was chilled tomato soup with NC jumbo lump crab and smoked olive oil paired with JOLIE-LAIDE ROSE' OF VALDEGUIE', MENDOCINO, CA 2017. The soup was wonderful and Ashley gave credit to another chef who showed her how to prepare it that way. The Valdeguie' rose' maybe had a bit more weight than the first wine but was still delicate to complement the delicate tomato and crab soup.

For the third course we had cacio e pepe tomato rice with Acquerello aged carnoli and blistered tomato relish paired with RED CAR ROSE' OF PINOT NOIR, SONOMA COAST, CA 2017. Acquerello carnoli rice is a rice from Piedmont, Italy selected for making risotto. Again, Ashley credited a Italian chef for teaching her a better way of preparing risotto (her risotto has always been very good in my experience.) I had a bottle of the Red Car rose' from Pinot Noir at home recently and wasn't impressed with it. I liked it somewhat better at the wine dinner, perhaps because it was chilled enough to dull some of the aspects.

For the fourth course we were served tomato-cured porchetta with a large portion of stacked squash and green tomato gratin paired with BISSON ROSE' OF CILIEGIOLO, PORTOFINO, ITALY 2017. Even though I didn't finish the risotto, I was feeling full at this point and had to leave some of the squash and green tomato gratin on my plate. "Ciliegiolo is a variety of red wine grape from Italy, named after the Italian for 'cherry'. It is a minor component of traditional blends such as Chianti, but interest has revived in recent years." from Wikipedia I enjoyed this rose' wine which was a cherry red color, almost like a red wine. I found raspberry and mild spice notes in the wine, with a slight pucker on the finish.


I think Ashley may have borrowed an idea from Sarig Agasi, former chef/owner of Zely and Ritz which is no longer open, for the dessert. It was a yogurt panna cotta with Sun Gold tomato, caramel and benne seed oat crunch (Sarig used to make a Sun Gold panna cotta as the dessert for his tomato dinners). This was accompanied by a LEITZ ROSE' OF PINOT NOIR SEKT, RHEINGAU, GERMANY 2015. The sparkling rose' was tingly, pale, almost white hue and yeasty.


Great meal and I enjoyed talking to a newlywed couple across the table from me and another couple seated to my left.

[Jenise]

JC, wow. A whole dinner themed around tomatoes. What a treat--I drooled over your descriptions, thank you so much for the details. "Tomato vine vinegar"--I'm on this!

Here's a recipe for tomato vine vinegar: https://munchies.vice.com/en_us/article ... ne-vinegar

[Robin Garr]

Since the month is over, I'll probably post my report later in the week as a separate WTN, but to place a comment in this Focus, I'm sipping tonight on one of the most interesting rosés I've had yet. If you see Delaille 2017 Domaine du Salvard Cheverny Rosé, a Loire Valley pink from Kermit Lynch, get it. You can thank me later.

Joe Moryl wrote: "on the west side of Seneca Lake I'd say that Red Tail Ridge, Ravines, Kemmeter, Shaw and Wiemer are probably the best stops for a wine geek."

I'd throw in Billsboro too. It has come a long way in the hands of Vinny and Kim Aliperti. Several years ago I stopped at a Billsboro satellite shop next to Rose Hill on the east side of Seneca and was not much impressed. What I didn't know then was that the wines were selected for visitors to Rose Hill and not representative. Then a month or so ago I heard Vinny present three kinds of sparklers at a home winemakers meeting. One of them was a Billsboro Riesling Mousseux that caught the attention of everyone. Dry and refreshing at just $18 it was perfect for a summer gathering. Intrigued, I made a point of stopping at the winery while in Geneva later on and came away much impressed. All their grapes are now sourced from the Sawmill Creek vineyard and the wines are all dry. A Pinot Gris and an Albarino (only one in the Finger Lakes I believe) were standouts, but the whole lineup was worthwhile. Definitely worth a stop.