Over the last few years, Rosé has really, finally found acceptance with the American consumer. Wine industry publications report double-digit growth in the category and even triple digit growth in some price ranges. Even rosé wine festivals are popping up, like the one in Denver recently.
This popularity is focused on dry wines modeled after European styles, not the sweet “blush” wines that have been popular for years. A variety of red grapes are used and the best wines are easy drinking, refreshing, yet flavorful. Expect a flavor profile similar to their red siblings, while they drink more like white wines.
Expect bright, fresh fruit aromas and flavors ranging from strawberry, cherry, raspberry, and cranberry to rhubarb, pomegranate, and watermelon.
Thankfully, this popularity has been accompanied by improved quality, as I found in my recent tastings. Because of their vibrant freshness and lively fruit, pink wines are almost always best drunk young, so look for the most recent vintages available. Note, all wines here are 2018 vintage, unless otherwise stated.
Among Rosé devotees, France is the prime source. There is a dizzying array of French Rosés from all over the country (including Alsace, Loire, Champagne and Bordeaux) but most notably the south – places like Provence, Languedoc-Roussillon, Bandol, Rhône Valley, and Tavel.
Rosé from Provence in particular offers consistent quality at reasonable prices. And Rosé from Côtes de Provence (made mostly from grenache) is especially popular. My recommended wines generally exhibited delicate, fresh red berries, crisp citrus fruits, juicy freshness, and a suggestion of creaminess:
- Château Minuty, an 18th century estate using sustainable methods, offers the estate grown “Rosé et Or” ($40) with intense fruit and floral, spice notes and the tart but smooth “M de Minuty” ($21)
- Domaine Cala, owned by Los Angeles celebrity Chef Joachim Splichal in the Coteaux Varois en Provence, has produced the savory “Classic” ($16) and the rich (likely from its oak aging) “Prestige” ($25)
- Fleur de Mer ($17), produced by a cooperative near Saint-Tropez, is soft and appealing
Other southern France appellations also produce worthwhile rosés. From the Côtes du Rhône, the tart, spicy Les Dauphins ($12), from a 100-year-old producer, is ¾ grenache, with the rest cinsault and syrah. And I have two from the Pyrénées-Orientales, a department within Côtes du Roussillon bordering Spain: the fresh, lively Les Vignes de Bila-Haut ($15) from the great Rhône Valley producer Michel Chapoutier and from Department 66 (which is also an administrative division in the area and notably near the Pyrenees and France’s border with Spain), California winemaker Orin Swift owns a winery with the same name and makes the firm, round, spicy, alcoholic “Fragile” Rosé (2017, $18).
Italians also love Rosé, though it is often labeled Rosato. From the Veneto, the Tenuta Sant’Antonio winery (a well-known maker of Valpolicella and Soave) also produces fresh, focused wines from local and international varieties under the Scaia label. The Scaia Rosato ($13), 100 percent the native rondinella, is lively and juicy, fresh and focused.
I also was impressed with the Regaleali “Le Rose” ($15) from the prestigious Sicilian wine family, Tasca d’Almerita. Made from indigenous nerello mascalese grapes, it balances crispness with a suggestion of sweetness.
These days, it seems nearly every California winery produces a rosé. Most seem to focus either on Rhône varieties like syrah, grenache and mourvèdre or the Burgundian grape, pinot noir but you also can find other varieties and blends.
For Rhône fans, I recommend these from my tastings:
- Beckmen Grenache “Purisma Mountain Vineyard” ($25), from Ballard Canyon in Santa Barbara County, is vibrant, sleek, lively.
- Halter Ranch Grenache Paso Robles (68% Grenache, 23% Mourvèdre, 9% Picpoul Blanc, $28) zesty, tangy raspberry, spicy certified sustainanble
- Sosie Syrah “Vivio Vineyard” ($25) Bennett Valley Sonoma County produced with minimal intervention fresh, full, round
- Cline Ancient Vines Mourvedre ($18) primitivo, zinfandel Sonoma-based winery produces fine values from Contra Costs County grapes tangy, juicy
- 2018 Oak Farm “Silvaspoons Vineyards” ($24) Lodi grenache intense, round
- Edna Valley Vineyard ($12), a jewell of the central Coast, this San Louis Obispo winery blendingtempranillo, syrah, grenache, and mourvedre; tart, spicy
And I find it interesting that wineries seem to have latched on to pinot noir as the grape of choice. This is likely because the grape typically produces lighter colored wines anyway and tends to reveal its primary aromas and flavors at earlier ripeness than, say, cabernet sauvignon. These will satisfy Pinot Noir fans: the tangy, tart Cuvaison ($30) from Carneros; the full, juicy Riverbench ($25) from Santa Maria Valley; and from Oregon’s Willamette Valley, the racy, creamy Left Coast ($24); the intense, high-toned Stoller ($25); and juicy, tangy Chehalem ($25)
And for variety: try a longtime Zinfandel favorite the earthy, spicy Pedroncelli Dry Creek Valley “Signature Selection” ($17). This Sonoma stalwart has produced a certified sustainable wine easygoing with spice. And the Gamble Rosé ($22), from a family with 100 years farming in the Napa Valley, is a juicy, tangy, delightful Bordeaux-style blend.
No review of Rosé would be complete without pink bubbly:
From Italy’s Emilia-Romagna, Cleto Chiarli has been a benchmark for traditional, honest and high-quality Lambrusco for nearly 160 years in Modena. The NV Brut di Noir Rosé Spumante ($16) is a delightful Lambrusco from the local grasparossa grape and pinot nero (pinot noir) showing hints of cinnamon spice and sweetness.
From California, the J Vineyards Brut Rosé ($35) is a long time favorite. Its 66 percent pinot noir, 33 percent chardonnay, and 1 percent pinot meunier yield intense fruit balanced with creamy effervescence and the 2015 Cuvaison Brut Rosé ($50), a blend of 60 percent chardonnay and 40 percent pinot noir is rich and luscious.
From Oregon, Left Coast “Queen Bee Bubbly” ($24), a 100 percent pinot noir fermented in oak with a tirage including estate grown honey to feed the encapsulated yeast in the bottom of each bottle (usually the secondary fermentation to produce the bubbles is prompted with a sugar solution) is bright, fresh and surprisingly complex.