Commanderie de Peyrassol, Cotes du Provence, Rosé, $17.99
Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre As always, our “go-to” summer rosé– light-bodied, dry, minerally, floral, a bit more fruit this year than last, strawberry, peach and nectarine. As I write this, we are in New York, having spent much of the 80 degree day in Central Park and are finishing off with some Peyrassol rosé. Once again, this will be our favorite to enjoy in our Adirondack chairs overlooking the meadow as we listen to the Green River and visit with neighbors.
Domaine Grande Cassagne, Costieres de Nimes, Rosé, 2009 $10.99
60% Syrah, 35% Grenache and 5% Mourvedre
We took it to our neighbor’s house for a get together and this was a crowd favorite. Much “fruitier” than the Peyrassol, with lots of fresh strawberry and blueberry flavors and aromas. The finish includes that thyme-rosemary thing so characteristic of south of France rosés. A great value and an affordable way to experiment with rosé if you remember it primarily as white Zinfandel, Mateus or any of those other pink wines we drank 30 years ago. These wines are decidedly not like those!
Revenant, Napa Valley, Malbec Rose, 2009 $13.99
This is a light, ethereal rosé, not what you would expect from Malbec, but then it is Malbec from California. More importantly, it is made by Anthony Knox, proprietor and winemaker at Revenant. While in France years ago, he enjoyed rosé while visiting Cahors, the region along the Dordorge River that specializes in Malbec. Indeed, this wine could easily pass for a South of France Rosé-dry, minerally, crisp, refreshing.
Domaine de Bagnol, Cassis, Rosé, 2009 $25.99
This is our “top-of-the-line” rosé we get in exceedingly small allocations each year. This year, we received only one case, but that is more than we were able to secure in 2008. The Cassis AOC is located between Marseilles and Bandol, a small AOC (only 490 acres) specializing in white wines made primarily of Marsanne and Clairette. Domaine de Bagnol is one of only 12 domaines in the AOC, with 15 acres planted from which they make small quantities of the white and rosé.
This rosé, a blend of Cinsault, Mourvedre and Grenache, is an elegant expression of wild strawberries, cranberries, and a provocative minerality that finishes bone-dry. It would go beautifully with grilled veg, but there is so little of it that Frank and I will be lucky to reserve one bottle and enjoy every drop of it on its own as we sit outside and share it with our very dear neighbors.
Mulderbosch, Stellenbosch, Rosé, 2009
100% Cabernet Sauvignon A South African rosé that we think of as a red-wine drinker’s rosé-full-bodied, with flavors of cherry and mint. This can pair up with those red meats coming off the grill.