Well I have finally started on my tour of Rosé wine. I went into my local wine shop earlier this week and asked for some recommendations. I actually prefaced my asking with “I have never had a Rosé that I have liked”. My complaint for most is that they are too sweet. As he was picking out a couple for me from a fairly extensive selection of Rosé he explained that they now carried Rosé year-round, not just in the summer. Both of the selections he had just had himself.
So here we go…
The first I had as a 2008 Commanderie de la Bargemone from Provence. I paid $12.99 for this wine. It is pale pink with a very pleasant fruity nose. Unfortunately the fruit did not transfer to the taste. The wine had a bracing acidity which may have been masking the fruit a little too much. It is definitely a wine the cries out for food, and the right food at that. My wife was eating something with tomato sauce (admittedly probably not the best pairing for a Rosé), and the acidity of the tomatoes and the wine did not go well together at all. I, however, had pesto and the wine cut through the oiliness of the pesto sauce very well. All in all, for me, not a wine for sipping on its own, best with the right foods. I would call it fair to good. Interestingly I came away from this wine thinking that it would have benefited by a touch of residual sugar to tame the acidity a bit… Ironic…
The second wine was a Domaine Massamier La Mignarde Cuvee des Oliviers also from France that cost $9.99. This wine is a mix of 80% Cinsault, 10% Syrah, and 10% Granache. A deeper pink than the first wine it had a somewhat more restrained fruity nose. However, unlike the first, that fruit was discernable in the taste, probably because it was much less acidic. It still had enough acidity to give it a crisp edge, but it was a much more pleasant wine to sip on its own. It, too, paired well with food, in this case Panini. I would rate this wine as good.
So for round 1 I’d say I came away 1 for 2. The first wine I will probably not drink again, the second I will.
I am not crazy about rosés precisely because they can be so sweet. Well, a couple of days ago I decided to overcome my reluctance and try a glass; hey, I was in Napa Valley, and I was feeling adventurous.
Unfortunately, the wine was like drinking fruit punch. I have not totally written rosés off, but it will probably be a while before venture down that road again. Perhaps I will give your Domaine Massamier La Mignarde Cuvee des Oliviers recommendation a try. Thanks for the tip.