Last Summer (2004) Otis came up with the idea of exploring a new wine region to expand our horizons. We called it the "Summer of Vouvray" after the region we chose to explore. Notes were posted tasting notes and information on the region in this thread. A few months ago. I approached Otis about the theme for this Summer and threw out a few ideas. Otis suggested Rose' wines. I thought about it and agreed (reluctantly at first but the idea grew on me).

I decided to start a thread for the TN's which can be added to as the Summer progresses. Anyone who wants to join us in a search for the better pink wines available is welcome. Feel free to post your notes here.

Here is my first note:

2004 Kurt Darting Dürkheimer Nonnengarten Blauer Portugieser - Germany, Pfalz, Bad Durkheim (6/16/2005)
I opened this last Friday on the patio when a few friends came over for a BBQ and outdoor fire after the Sun went down. $13 for a 1 liter bottle (a Terry Theise selection). This was an interesting wine. The first wine from the 2004 vintage that I have tried. It was a rose' wine made from a light bodied, low acidity grape originally from Austria. The color was a pinkish rust. I served it chilled and it was refreshing which was probably its best characteristic. Simple and with a touch of sweetness. Not something I would buy again but at an outdoor party it would make a great wine to serve instead of white zin for the non wine guests. 82 points.

VM

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Vino Me,

Wow, I can feel the excitement over the Summer of Rose'. Perhaps Otis set me up here. In any event, I pulled the corks on another 3 Rose' wines this weekend. Here are my notes:

2002 Banfi Brachetto d'Acqui Rosa Regale-
I am putting this into the Rose' category even the the color on this sparkling wine is more red than pink. I bought a 375ml bottle of this Italian wine on discount for $6. Rather sweet and somewhat syrupy in my opinion. We drank this on its own but it may be better with chocolate. Full bodied and not much fizz. Notes of rose petals and strawberries. I did not like it. 78 points.

NV Mionetto il Prosecco Rosato Frizzante- This is the Rose' version of the "il" labeled Prosecco with the pop off cap. The bottle said it was made with the Rosato grape. I bought a 375ml bottle of this for $6. Much drier than regular Prosecco and more austere. Medium bead. Notes of raspberries and strawberries. Simple but refreshing. 83 points.

2003 Vina Vilano Ribera del Duero Rosado- I found this Rose' version of the the big bold reds from the Ribera del Duero region of Spain recently for about $10. This was by far the best of this weekends Rose' wines. My wife and I drank it in South Haven, Michigan this weekend from the deck of a cottage watching the Sun set over Lake Michigan. A wonderful sunset and this chilled bottle seemed to match the mood very well. Good acidity and floral aromatics. Notes of red berries and crushed grape skins. Medium bodied and dry. 86 points.

VM

quote:

Wow, I can feel the excitement over the Summer of Rose'. Perhaps Otis set me up here.

Sorry to hear you suffer through the first two but at least they were only 375's.

See if you can find some Miner Family Rosado in your area. It has been one of my favorites in years past.

bench
i don't think that one makes it out of the state

Hey VM-
I recently had a rose I really enjoyed. The 2003 Bruno Clair, Marsannay. He produces great burg and this Rose had some weight to it. I think it was maybe $16.95. Wish I would have bought more when they were available-Winex says I will probably have to wait for the 2004 at this point.

I just picked up 2 mag's of Miner Family Rosado. I'll report back later. BTW, they are down to the last few cases of mag's and are out of 750's. Jump on it before the weekend when they will be gone.

quote:

Originally posted by Vino Me:
A few months ago I approached Otis about the theme for this Summer and threw out a few ideas.
VM

Just out curiosity, what were other ideas?

grun,

I suggested Chinon or Muscadet. When Muscadet was rejected I used the idea for the June TAA.

VM

Looks like I better get my hands on a good Tavel to try and save the Summer of the Rose!

Cheers,

Otis

benchland,

Perhaps you could lug one of those Miner Mags to Chicago for the CDP in August.

VM

I picked up a bottle of Domaine de la Mordorée 2004 from Tavel a couple weeks ago. Cost something like $18-$20. I will write a TN when I drink it.

I actually bought a couple roses within the past week. A 2003 Chateau Pradeaux Bandol and a 2003 La Bastide Blanche Cuvee Estagnol. I was going to open one up this weekend. I'll report on it when I do.

J3

I had some Tavel a couple weeks ago for an early summer kick off. Chilled it down and drank it over a dvd on a hot and muggy Friday night. Refreshing and simple, but I forget who the producer was.

I might give one or two more a shot while it's still warm.

2003 La Bastide Blanche Bandol Rose Cuvee Estagnol

Normal rose color. Floral nose with very slight barnyard, and also lychee nuts. Watermelon and peach taste with heat on the short finish. Some acidity but not at the forefront.

Overall, not that impressed. 85 points.

J3

2002 Buttonwood Syrah Rose


Had this with grilled tri-tip. This is a nice rose'. It has the syrah notes but also a light jammy character to it. Strawberrys, spice, a bit of pepper and no harsh tannin and balancing acidity. It worked perfect with the carmelized parts of the meat !!! 88 pts $12

2004 Hess Collection Syrah Small Block Series Rose'

I bought this at Binny's for $12. I opened it over the weekend when Allred and his girlfriend came over for an impromptu BBQ after the Western Open. According to Hess, fruit for this wine was sourced from two small vineyards in Monterey and Napa Valley. The wine was fermented in stainless steel and then barrel aged for 3 months in neutral French oak. Malolactic fermentation was not allowed.

This was a dry rose'. Served slightly chilled. A little darker color than most rose'. Notes of bright berry and strawberry rhubarb pie. Nice character. One of the better rose' I have had so far. 88 points.

VM

I had a 2004 Pavie de Rosee, which was uncovered in a New Jersey shop for about $10. It exceeded my expectations, as discussed in this pink wine thread.

By the way, I stopped by LAWineCo last week while killing time at LAX (the shop is only about 2 miles north of airport). I picked up some Pichot Vouvrays -- some 1996 Moeulleux, a worthy successor to the delicious 1990, which I also bought at LAWineCo -- and some 2004 "regular", which is delicious on a hot Memphis night.

I'm drinking more Vouvray than Rose this summer ... I guess I'm a year late.

2004 Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose'

I purchased this bottle for $9 (about half the price of the always good Sauvignon Blanc put out by this estate). I took it to Otis' house last Friday to try before his Kathryn Kennedy dinner (more on that in a seperate thread). I figured this might be the only way to get Otis to try a Rose'.

This was probably the best Rose' I have had to date. Very aromatic with nuances of crushed raspberry and ash (noted by my wife). Dry but with a slight hint of sweetness. Round and alluring. I can highly recommend this bottle. Great QPR. 89-90 points.

VM

Another notch in my Rose belt-
2004 Corbillieres
A bit drier than the Marsannay nad not enough fruit IMO. Nothing inspirational-- $9.99 at Winex.

2004 Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose'

Thanks for bringing this, Vino Me. If I ever get to a wine store this summer, I promise I'll pick up a rose' of my own!

The first thing I noticed about this Mulderbosch was that the color was closer to red than a rose'. Almost looked like a Beaujolais. Nice round strawberry flavor, with a surprising amount of tannin for this type of wine, resulting in a bit of a pucker on the finish. A little too gutsy for my liking in a rose', but fun to drink. 85P.

Cheers,

Otis

NV Laurent-Perrier Champagne Cuvée Rosé Brut

I bought this on sale about 4 years ago for $18 and took it to Otis' house last Friday to drink before the Kathryn Kennedy dinner. It normally sells for about $35-40. This was a very nice Champagne to sip on the croquet course. It is 100% Pinot Noir sourced from 10 different Grand Cru vineyards. Not overly fruity. Some yeasty notes. Seems to have held up very well. 90 points.

VM

2004 Fritz Allendorf Spätburgunder Rosé

I bought this German Rose' wine from the Rheingau for $9. My wife and I opened this with some neighbors on our patio Saturday night. Spatburgunder is the German name for Pinot Noir. Allendorf has a reputation as a producer of inexpensive wines and they have never appealled to me very much. However, this wine was quite good and is an excellent value. The label did not say "trocken" (dry) but should have. Medium rose red color. Notes of berry and nectarine. Nice round finish. 88 points.

VM

The best domestic rose that I've tried is from Tablas Creek.

2003 Chateau Pradeaux Bandol Rose

Typical Rose color. Strawberry licorice nose and flavor. Slighlty acidic. Medium finish. Not too impressed with roses so far. 88 points