winewaves

Domaine De Fontsainte Corbiéres Rosé 2004

Kermit Lynch is serious about French Rosé, and he imports several choices in the under $15 range.  Kermit has been credited with helping revive interest in quality rosés, by continuing to import them even when they were very much out of favor a number of years back.

Domaine De Fontsainte Gris de Gris Rosé  is from Corbiéres, in southern France, The blend is of 40% Grenache Gris, 30% Carignan and 30% Cinsault. Tasting Notes. Color: Salmon orange transparent. Aromas: Strawberry, citrusy orange, cold blossoms, melon and hints of herbs. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, very tart, dry and a bit tannic. The citrusy, cherry/berry and spiced tea flavors reverberate in the firm dry finish. Closure: Real cork. Very nice value ($13).   Drink up!  The 2005 is coming soon.  Great by itself or with chicken salad.

Domaine du Poujol Coteaux du Languedoc Rosé 2004

Rosés express a variety of colors, aromas, and personalities. Step aboard the orange blossom special: an honest, elegant, and stately rosé.

In 1994 the Cripps family, Robert and Kim, and Robert's parents, bought this 160 acre property in the south of France. Robert had worked in the wine business in London in the 1980's, and later worked a harvest in Napa Valley.

After taking a degree in Economics, Robert went back to California and made wine for Saintsbury, Carneros Creek, Murphy Goode and finally Peter Michael Winery. Kim's 10 years in Napa Valley were financial, and included stints at Beringer, Clos du Bois and Sterling. The fruit for Poujol Rosé 2004 was sourced from a 25 acre estate vineyard.  The blend was 44% Cinsault, 26% Grenache, 20% Carignan, and 10% Syrah. Tasting Notes:  Color: Bright copper orange, transparent. Aromas: Orange, cold blossoms, and "garrigue" (wild herbs). The body is medium, tart, dry, with citrusy grapefruit and somewhat herbal flavors which are restrained in the crisp elegant finish. Closure: Composite artificial "neocork". Very nice value ($13).

Food pairing: Roast chicken salad. Berkeley's Kermit Lynch imports.

Drink up!  The 2005 has already been released an also contains Mourvedre.

Jest Pink California Rosé Non-Vintage

Just an amusing little wine is Jest Pink, the newest jester in the Jest Wines lineup. Jest Wines are produced by Hambrecht Wine Group, and marketed by Michael Mondavi's Folio Wine Company*.

Jest Pink is a blend of California Syrah, Grenache and Carignan. Melissa Bates and Troy McEnery are currently winemakers for Jest Wines, as well as for Bill Hambrecht's Belvedere and Bradford Mountain labels. Tasting Notes. Color: Medium coral-cherry red, transparent. Sour fruit candy aromas (apple, raspberry and orange) lead to a fleshy, rounded-off light-bodied dry in-betweener. The juicy fruity flavors carry through to a clean tart finish. Closure: Real cork. Excellent value ($9). Food pairing: Jest about anything or jest by itself.

*Michael Mondavi and family founded Folio Wine Co. after the sale of Robert Mondavi to Constellation Brands. Rob Mondavi Jr. is Winemaker (aka "Zinmaker") for Medusa Winery, which specializes in Old Vine Zinfandel.

Tortoise Creek Rosé D'Une Nuit 2004

Symbols of the new world, the tortoise couple on the label is Millie and Hecto Litre, inspired by the real life shell dwellers in owners Mel and Janie Master's pond in Provence. Mel Master is a restaurateur, wine writer and founder of several wine labels, including Les Jamelles (sold in 1996) and the Tiamo Italian label. Master purchases and blends high quality juice from low yield growers in the area to produce his decidedly modern looking Tortoise Creek wines.

Tortoise Creek Rosé is a blend of 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache, from the western Languedoc, bottled as Vin De Pays D'Oc. The D'Une Nuit part of the name refers to the single overnight maceration period this wine sees, during which the red grape skins are left in contact with the juice. Tasting Notes:  Color: Very pink wild salmon, transparent. Candied citrus and berry fruit aromas combine with cold blossoms, pepper, herbs and minerals. The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, barely sweet on the tip of the tongue, then quickly turning dry. Juicy fruity flavors dominate the crisp refreshing finish.

Closure: Screw cap. Excellent value ($10, Byron's).

San Guiseppe Veneto Pink Pinot Grigio 2004

Pink Pinot Grigio by San Giuseppe is certainly a small new wrinkle in the U.S. market, playing on the fact that Pinot Grigio grapes mature with a range of hues, including pink.

San Giuseppe Pink Pinot Grigio is the Brand idea of Vintwood International's Frank Gentile and Bob Musso. Their San Giuseppe website doesn't give any information regarding the source of the pink color. We do know the alcohol is on the light side (12%), and there is some residual sugar. Tasting Notes. Color: Very pale salmon rose. Really light citrusy, floral aromas invite you to taste the tart juicy, minerally, lightly fruity (orange, grapefruit, apple) flavors. On the tongue, this is a Pinot Grigio with some structure and body, just slightly sweet, and the finish is longer than many popular Pinot Grigios. Closure: Screw cap. Nice value ($10).

LaPlaya Colchagua Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé 2004

La Playa translates to "The Beach", and this Rosé would be ideal for a beach picnic. The LaPlaya Brand was launched in 1989 by the Axelsen family of California. In building the current day corporation, Viña La Playa S.A., the Axelsens partnered with the Sutil and Errázuriz families. They now own some 600 acres of vineyards in the Colchagua Valley in Central Chile. In 2004, they completed a new winery and hotel facility, with four-star accomodations.

LaPlaya Cabernet Rosé 2004 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, estate grown fruit, sourced from 12-year-old vines. LaPlaya's winemaking team is headed by Diego García de la Huerta Sutil, who consults with Sonoma Valley based Scott Peterson. Tasting Notes:  Color: Watermelon red. Aromas: Candied cherry, orange peel, white chocolate, and light spice. The mouthfeel is light-to-medium bodied, with a sense of sweetness front-palate, turning dry and showing some mild tannins. Bright fruit flavors combine with spice and vanilla nuances that carry into the fleshy unsweet finish. Closure: Composite artificial "neocork" Excellent value ($7).

The Colchagua Valley is located about 80 miles southwest of Santiago, and lies between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean. This area has a Mediterranean climate and is fortunately free of Phylloxera.

Ménage à Trois California Rosé 2004

Ménage à Trois Rosé 2004 is a new offering from Folie a Deux*, and is a blend of Merlot, Syrah and Gewurztraminer. Vinification was all stainless steel, and 24 hours of contact with the skins was allowed. The Gewurztraminer portion was cold-fermented separately.

Tasting Notes:  Color: Bright watermelon red/pink, transparent. Bright, light candied cherry and orange flavors are supported by hints of ginger spice. The mouthfeel is light and tart, with a sensation of sweetness front-palate. Red berry and lime/orange citrus flavors, plus that bit of exotic spiciness, resolve very nicely as the wine finishes just barely off-bone-dry. Closure: Real cork. Very nice value ($9) in a Rosé for the masses that isn't sweet. This Rose paired very well with a Grouper sandwich at Guppy's (see recent post for a picture).

*Folie a Deux was purchased by Trinchero Family Estates in 2004.

El Coto Rioja Rose 2004

El Coto Rose 2004 is a blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha (approximately 50/50), from Rioja* Alavesa. Vinification was an all-stainless-steel affair. The skins were in contact with the juice for 2 days. Tasting Notes. Color: Bright warm pink, transparent. Aromas: Strawberry, framboise, grapefruit, light flowers, and oregano/herbal notes. On the tongue, this rosado is light, dry and a bit peppery. Citrusy grapefruit and orange rind combine with light red berry flavors and hints of herbaceousness, as the wine finishes crisp and refreshing. Closure: Real cork. Very nice value ($8-9). Food pairing: By itself, or with light dishes such as chicken salad, chicken noodle soup, or fish soup.

*See recent Winewaves post on Marques de Caceres Rioja Rose 2004.

Marques de Caceres Rioja Rose 2004

Marques de Caceres Rioja* Rose 2004 arrived a while back, and this year's is a blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha (Grenache) from Rioja Alta.  Vineyard Brands imports.

Vinification was cold and slow in stainless steel. There is no oak influence here.  Tasting Notes: Bright sunset red transparent. Aromas: Strawberry, raspberry, grapefruit and orange with light herbal and floral notes. In the mouth, the sensation is juicy, round and tart, with nice mildly tannic structure. Bright berry and tart grapefruit flavors, plus hints of white pepper and herbs lead to a dry, clean finish. Closure: Artificial plastic cork. Excellent value ($7-8).

*Rioja is a small but very well-known Spanish wine growing region along the Ebro River, well to the West of Barcelona (Catalonia) and well Northeast of Madrid. The location is nearby (just Southwest of) Pamplona, where the legendary "running of the bulls" takes place.

Chateau de Lascaux J. B. Cavalier Coteaux du Languedoc Rose 2004

Chateau de Lascaux Coteaux du Languedoc Rose is a blend of Syrah and Grenache, grown in a 110-acre vineyard between Monpellier and Nimes (north and east of Corbieres and St. Chinian, in the northeast end of Languedoc-Roussillon), on hillsides near the Mediterranean.  The soil is gravelly limestone, and the vines are surrounded by bushy herbal growths (garrigues), including rosemary, bay, thyme, lavender and mint.

The wine was cold-fermented and aged about 6 months in large vats before bottling. This wine was produced by Jean-Benoit Cavalier, and imported to the USA by Kermit Lynch, represented by Winebow. 89.5 points. Color: Bright red-orange. Aromas: Strawberry and orange rind, with hints of vanilla. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, sweet and tart on the tongue, peppery and dry. Citrus flavors (orange, grapefruit) combine with pepper and herbal notes. The finish is warm and dry with hints of gravel. Closure: Real cork.  Retail: $14. Value: Very nice.