August 4, 2020
“Intentional Rosé” made from Syrah and Grenache. Sierra Foothills and Oakville, Napa Valley fruit. Yellow plum and watermelon rind nose suggest a very dry, tingly style of Rosé wine. Take a big sip and that’s exactly what you get: very dry and bursting with acidity. With the tang are definitive flavors of cracked black peppercorns, pink roses, tangy raspberries, cotton candy and those yellow plums and melon rind. Azur absolutely nails the style they are going for, which is a very dry Provence style. The bulls-eye along with the fantastic packaging warrants the “luxury market” Rosé price. Azur Winery is […]
June 24, 2020
Orange/pink, peach skin color points to the dry, savory style of Rosé that this is. Cracked black pepper, light strawberry and fresh bread crust (from brief aging on the lees). The taste combines weight and a healthy acidity. Flavors of tarragon, red berries, peach pit, watermelon and light caramel – all in unison. Bone-dry, medium bodied, a bit creamy, spicy throughout and a pleasant tang of acidity. Because of it’s broader shoulder style I’d pair it with stronger flavored foods than most Rosé wines – red sauces, pesto, BBQ white meats, pepperoni pizza. Sourced from 125 year old (!) Grenache […]
June 12, 2020
Bright cherry, blood orange and dried Italian herb nose, moving to a tangy, juicy, mouth-watering taste of red berries, cherries, red plums, white pepper and fresh violets. Its sharp corners were rounded by a brief aging in neutral barrels. This friendly Rosé wine, while classically light, has enough “meat on its bones” to pair nicely with chicken and pork hot off the grill or fire pit. I’m a big fan of the St Romedius wines for quality, uniquness and value. This is a winery to enjoy and buy from. Read all of my St Romedius reviews here.
June 11, 2020
Black peppercorns, blood orange rind and red roses come forth on the deep and savory nose. The same goodness continues in the taste – strawberries and blood orange for sure, but spice, flowers and texture are the major takeways where. And balance: not too fruity nor light nor rich. It hits the middle ground in this particularly complex and “serious” Rosé. The making of this wine is as impressive as the wine itself: top-notch, much sought-after Grenache fruit from Rutherford’s “McGah Vineyard,” intentional Rosé, one barrel made. 601 Cellars is owned and made by husband/wife Brian Doody and Laura Larson. Their […]
May 21, 2020
The tiny-production Post & Vine Rosé of Carignane has a bright, brilliant red color, a pronounced tang of acidity, focused flavors of tangy raspberry, watermelon and strawberry plus peppery spice, tarragon and white roses. As it breathes the fruitiness comes out, softening the wine’s cutting acidity. Reminds me of Italian Sangiovese Rosato in this way. I preferred it on Day 2…common for Rosé wines not even a year old and recently bottled. Post & Vine Owners/Winemakers Rebekah Wineburg and Erica Kinkaid both have “day jobs” making super-high end (and pricey) Napa Valley Cabernets and such. Post & Vine is their […]
April 23, 2020
Hudson Ranch harvests one block of Grenache for this “intentional Rosé.” Pressed off its skins the morning it is harvested, making for a VERY light Rosé hue. Smell and taste fresh pink rose petals, lilacs, lemon-strawberry, papaya and white pepper. In the middle of this more austere wine is a fruity core of citrus, tropical and wild strawberry. This is drinking particularly well for a Rosé so recently bottled. Lee & Cristina Hudson and the entire Hudson Ranch team close the circle of environment, land, farming and taste. The goodness that comes off of Hudson Ranch goes way beyond wine. […]
April 22, 2020
On the light and delicate side of Rosé wine with light wild red cherry, pink rose petals and mandarin orange smells and flavors. The light, transparent color will please the army of Rosé drinkers who judge by color. And the flavor is in line with the look: very dry, shining acidity and subtle flavor. On the day I tasted this was bottled for just two months. I recommend drinking it now, and believe it will be even better in July. Navarro only sells their wine retail winery-direct in California and miniscule distribution outside the state. It is one of the few […]
February 24, 2020
A Saignée Rosé from the three vineyards sourced by co-owner/winemaker Martin MacKenzie’s for his Three Furies Pinot Noirs. The “electric red Kool-Aid” color while striking is not consistent with the dry, spicy, food-friendly smell and taste of the wine. Those who judge Rosé with their eyes will have a hard time getting past the color. If this does not describe you – well done, and get yourself some. From start to finish I get dried red roses, black peppercorns, violets, fresh raspberry, wild red cherry and blood orange. Dry, tangy and spicy on the finish, making it an excellent foil […]
September 24, 2019
Merlot and Sangiovese from Pestoni’s vineyard between their winery and Highway 29 is the source for this dry, spicy Rosé wine. All saignée, which is surprising based on the peach skin color. Lite spice, fresh strawberries, blood orange, peppercorns, etc. You know, all the good Rosé smells and flavors. Very dry and nicely fruity too. This is sold exclusively at the winery from the tasting room and to Pestoni Family wine club members, so buy online or visit Pestoni Family’s winery & tasting room in Rutherford to get this. Andy Pestoni returned to the family business, Pestoni Estate (previously called […]
August 27, 2019
A Provence-like orange and peach skin hue followed by a crisp, blood orange, faint cherry/rasperry and white pepper flavor makes me think more Southern France than Zinfandel Rose, quite frankly. No complaining. It’s tasty, and I think it’s a style and quality that will make the majority of Rose drinkers happy. It’s tangy not tart, with fruit but not fruity. Gets a smiley face for texture. Drink with or without food. It’s a perfect lemon/garlic grilled chicken wine, I imagine. My family and I cruised down to the recently opened Prima Materia tasting room in Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood. Very cool […]
June 27, 2019
Provence-style Rosé by recipe: 1/2 Mourvèdre, 1/2 Carignane. Grapes pressed off. Stylistically, it straddles France and California. Reddish hue, raspberry/strawberry smells and flavors along with some black pepper, mandarine orange and pink roses. Fermented dry to a modest 12.9% alcohol, making for a pretty, berry-laden Rosé with ample acidity and spice. This is a Rosé to enjoy when you want more fruitiness in your pink. Like me! AERENA Wines, one of the wines from Bespoke Collection, are made by the super-skilled and accomplished Aaron Pott. The Mourvèdre and Carignane comes from 135 year old vines in Oakley, Sacramento Delta. This […]
June 18, 2019
Made from 70+ year old vine Carignane and 12% Valdiguie, Frog’s Leap “La Grenouille Rougante” (The Flying Frog) is an intentional rosé, i.e. made like a white wine: grapes pressed off with juice barely affected by the red skins. The result is a style of rosé that Frog’s Leap makes as well as anyone in California. Get mandarin orange, subtle plum and strawberry fruits, citrus blossoms, white pepper and orange zest. Very dry and very healthy acidity…this is a white wine drinker’s preferred style of Rosé for sure. Think Provence/Southern France style.
June 1, 2019
Almost 100% Grenache, most coming from “Bokisch Vineyard” Lodi. I call this a “Provence Style” Rosé because of its dryness and citrus/stone fruit/strawberry smell/flavor trifecta. Very dry and a low 11.8% alcohol, the 2018 Hogwash is set up to drink bottle after bottle. At $18/bottle it’s a DDWA Awesome Value and makes my “Best of the Best” Value list. Hogwash is part of Tuck Beckstoffer Wines/Seventy Five Wine Company.
April 2, 2019
The Tres Sabores Rose 2016 is made from Tres Sabores Estate Zinfandel and Calistoga Petite Sirah. Picked in August, well before the red wine harvest, for great acidity. Like any of the best California Rosés, the wine perks up the palate with acidity then satisfies with a wheel-barrel full of fresh summer fruits. As owner/winemaker Julie Johnson states, it is “strawberry and citrus and white peach all wrapped up into one zesty sip.” Kiss of peppercorn spice and chopped herbs de Provence add dimension. Bone-dry, low alcohol in the 12s, no oak. A fine sipper by itself, and even better […]
March 14, 2019
60% Mourvedre, 40% Carignane intentional Rosé. Co-harvest, press and ferment. This is very much a Provence/Bandol style of Rosé. White pepper, cherry and plum skins, orange zest and Provence herbs are what you get start to finish. While its reddish hue makes one think strawberry and watermelon, not so. This is a dry, savory style of Rosé, which makes total sense from Rhone-varietal specialist Benevolent Neglect. More Information Owners Ben Brenner and Matt Nagy are doing a great job building Benevolent Neglect slowly but surely into one of the next New California Wine go-to labels. Matt, who’s in charge of […]
February 28, 2019
Get red plums, strawberries, raspberries, cracked black and white pepper and a whiff of violets in the Belharra Rose of Syrah. Dry and light, showing more subtlety than most Syrah Rosé wines I taste. Careful lees-stirring adds texture to the wine without going overboard. This is all Syrah from “Las Madres Vineyard” Carneros. Picked early and pressed for Rosé. This is fermented and aged in stainless steel tank with some lees-stirring for texture. Stylistically, this falls in between the white wine-esque Provence types and the fruitier Southern Rhone style. More Information Belharra is a new, micro-winery owned, made and operated […]
June 8, 2018
Pinot Noir’s wild cherry and violet/rose jump out on the nose along with some talc and blood orange. The taste is pure pleasure…a smack of melon, plum and red berry/cherry and bright acidity that lifts the fruitiness up a couple of notches. Has a lightness and tang that appeals to those that seek the driest style of Rosé, and the fruit to remind you what wine is made from. Stephane Vivier is one of Northern California’s best winemakers. His (and his wife’s) Vivier wines focus on Pinot Noir. He also makes Long Meadow Ranch’s Anderson Valley wines and continues on […]
June 2, 2018
So darn tasty…wild strawberry, peach, Meyer lemon and white pepper nose transitions to flavors of blood oranges, berries and that peppery spice. I love the acidity…high enough to make it come across as VERY dry, yet it allows the ripe fruit to come forth. All is balanced to a T. While on the higher side for domestic Rosé at $26, it’s worth every darn penny. More Information GATHER is a super-tiny “Mom & Pop” winery. Jessica Tarpy is the Mom and winemaker (she is also the assistant winemaker at Favia). The “main” wine of Gather is “Decimo,” a mostly Tempranillo-based […]
June 2, 2018
On the lightest, crispest side of Rosé. Smell and taste wild strawberries, pink rose petals, red plums, peach, fennel and green tea. Tangy, fat-cutting acidity and intense. A much better food companion than a porch-sipper. I compare this more to a cool northern French (Loire, Burgundy) Rosé than a southern French style. One of Hudson Ranch’s many passions is raising heritage pigs for consumption. A Hudson Ranch slow-roasted pork butt from would make a fine companion. From a block of mature Grenache vines on Hudson Ranch. “Purposeful Rosé,” the Grenache grapes are squeezed (“whole cluster pressed”) straight from the vineyard, […]
June 2, 2018
Equal parts red berries, citrus and orchard fruit, this very dry style Rosé stands out for its crisp, floral, subtle yet intense style. Smell and taste raspberries, lemon blossoms, white pepper, guava and grapefruit. Meant for food, especially grilled or poached shrimp, smoked trout, charcuterie and oysters on the half shell. More information Made from 75% Tres Sabores Estate Zinfandel on Rutherford Bench + 25% Petite Sirah from Calistoga: An early harvest was made to make this “Rosé with intent” in the words of owner/winemaker Julie Johnson. Fermented cold in steel tank where the wine lived 6 months before bottling. This […]
June 2, 2018
This single-vineyard Grenache from eastern Sonoma Coast AVA (between Sonoma and Petaluma) is picked to make Rosé (“intentional”), fermented and aged 6 months in neutral French oak barrels. Equally citrus and stone fruits as red berries. I get blood orange, ripe peach, and wild strawberry along with white pepper, tarragon and mint tea. Has bright acidity (nice & tangy) counter-balanced by its generous fruitiness. Drinks nicely on its own and further blossoms with mild cheeses and white meats. More Information Campesino Cellars is owned and made by husband/wife Griselda and Macario Montoya (Macario is the winemaker). They honor their Mexican […]
May 17, 2018
On the denser, fuller-flavored side of Rosé, Sangiovese’s character comes out (from picking a touch later…this is 14.1% alcohol). Smell and taste wild cherry (cherry skins keep coming to mind – a texture thing), red plums, dry Italian herbs, peach pit, pomegranate and a touch of cracked black pepper. While it’s graceful and has the natural acidity of Sangiovese, it has the pleasing ripe qualities and texture that California wine can offer. Be sure to check out all my Rose wines reviewed in 2018 here, and read my Rose Report here.
May 7, 2018
Stalwart Napa winery gets Carignane (92%) and Valdiguie (8%) to make their purposeful Rosé. “Provencal style,” in the words of Frog’s Leap founder, owner and co-winemaker John Williams. This has a light orange/brick red color then gentle aromas of lavender, strawberry, thyme, orange tea and crushed white peppercorns. Taste is more of the same, falling as much into the citrus as the red berry fruits. It has subtle flavors yet a mighty intensity. I put this in my “the drier the better” style of Rosé. “Le Grenouille Rouganté” = “the blushing frog. Rosé is a blush…. More Information I am […]
May 1, 2018
Made from 100% Syrah from Fortunati’s “Estate” vineyard in owner/winemaker Ellen and Gary Luchtel’s backyard. (Gary makes the wine.) A “purposeful Rosé.” Smell and taste black pepper, ripe red plums, fresh blue and raspberry, touch of lavender and coriander. I really like the slightly chewy texture while staying super-fresh and tangy. Fortunati nailed it for flavor, acidity, texture and dryness. This is my garlic/herb marinated, grilled chicken wine for the summer. “I let more grapes grow on the Syrah vines I used to make the Rosé,” Gary explains. “I get ideal hang-time so the grapes develop really good flavors. But […]