We had our doubts in starting out on our rosé “tour”. We had a rocky start after trying a few Oregon rosés. We have to reluctantly say that we were not impressed and in one case, actually felt ripped off. We had just spent a wad of cash on over a dozen rosés and were beginning to have a sinking feeling that we weren’t going to like any of them.
So we were delightfully surprised when, from a sampling of 20 or so rosés from around the world, we really enjoyed almost all of them! A few were ordinary or unimpressive, a few were definitely “food only” wines, but all had their charms. More, we were treated to a vacation from familiar whites and heavy reds. From rosés of Sangiovese to Malbec to blends, we thoroughly enjoyed our trip to “pink”.
The more we have tasted of these dry yet fruity gems of the wine world the more we wonder why the hell everyone isn’t drinking them. And what’s more, why the hell weren’t we drinking them! What a waste of years I could have been enjoying rosé. Well, as they say, “better late than never”. So here is a wrap up with 5 more reasons you should get into rosé this summer.
1. Vina Sastre Ribera del Duero Rosado
2009 – Spain
Pure dark pink. Scents of berry and citrus with a hint of minerality. Bright grapefruit burst in the mouth with a dry, but smooth finish showcasing the minerality. A bit shy in showing off her fruit, this was still a very enjoyable and prettily made wine. We paid $11.29.
Overall – 7.5
Value – 7.75
Challenge – A
2. Crios de Susana Balbo Rosé of Malbec
2010 – Argentina
Our #1 favorite rosé of the whole lot, we loved everything about this wine from the deep pink tinged with violet color to the long flavorful finish. Intense berries on the nose followed by berries, cherries and spice on the palate. This is a perfectly balanced wine with plenty of crisp acidity to showcase the fruit and leave you refreshed and wanting more. Not just a good rosé, this is a great wine of any kind. We paid $11.29.
Overall – 9
Value – 8.5
Challenge – A
3. Bieler Pere et Fils Rosé
2010 – France
We found the Bieler Pere et Fils Rosé a simple delight. Sparkling clear – palest apricot pink shading to white. Delicate aromas of flowers and fruit flow into flavors of the same with faint overtones of grassy herbs. Uncomplicated, lively, easily quaffable. This is the style of rosé perfect for a warm Summer’s day. While not as outstandingly fruity as some others we’ve tried, we found this one extremely likable and refreshing.
We paid $11.49.
Overall – 8
Value – 8
Challenge rating – A
(See more about our rating system.)
4. Robert Oatley Rosé of Sangiovese
2010 – Australia
This rosé was quite crisp and dry with juicy citrus flavors along with a nice fruity/strawberry nose. This was more of a food wine for us, a bit too dry to just sip, so we looked at each other and said, “Greek Pizza!”. It would actually go well with a lot of summer foods. We paid $13.49.
Overall 7.5
Value 7.25
Challenge – C
5. Mulderbosch Rosé of Cabernet
2010 – South Africa
We found this classic salmon colored rosé a bit more herbal than the rest with an initial burst of strawberry aroma followed by thyme and a hint of tarragon. Red fruit and thyme followed on the palate. This wine would be perfect with lamb, and in fact would go well with almost any food. A steal at $9.29.
Overall – 8
value – 8
challenge – C
So after our wine tour what did we learn? Well, that what we really loved about rosés was their ability to show off varietal aromas and flavors without being overly tannic or heavy – making them a perfect wine for warmer weather. In addition we were impressed with their amazing flexibility as both a “lighter” wine you could sit and sip, and a terrific food wine that would pair well with so many dishes.
And so, after a poor start, our happy ever after was that we found a handful of wonderful Oregon rosés – more on those later – and look forward to finding more. If you are not “into” rosé yet, we recommend you give ‘em a try. We’re sure glad we did!
All the wines above we purchased at Wine.com. You can too. (The picture of the man with the wine bottle below is an affiliate link to wine.com and if you click and buy from them the winecatz will get a commission!)
Do you have a favorite rosé?
