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Domaine Chandon California Sparkling Rosé

Rosé is the newest in the line of Domaine Chandon's California sparkling wines, and New Year's Day 2007 was the perfect time to pop the cork on my first bottle.  Sparkling wine is all about the bubbles, appearances, and the celebration of living in the moment.  You have to be "in the mood" and usually that mood is one of "sitting on top of the world", "everything coming up roses", maybe even looking at life through "rose colored glasses".

Chandon Rosé is a visual victory achieved by adding 10% Pinot Noir at "tirage", the time when the yeast bodies from secondary fermentation are removed from the neck of the bottle.  The Pinot Noir dosage is added just before the final cork is pushed into the bottle.

Chandon describes the French Champagne méthode traditionnelle used to make this and all their California sparkling wines.  Tom Tiburzi, Winemaker, has come a long way from his childhood days when his parents introduced him to "sparkling wine" by way of mixing still wine with "7-Up".  Now he leads the sparkling wine efforts at this Napa outpost located in Yountville.

The base wine is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, picked a bit early to give the finished result a crisp light side.  The Pinot Noir is picked fully ripe providing structure and bold fruit forward flavors.  A year aging on the lees (yeast bodies) provides creamy texture.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Bright salmon pink with new copper penny and warm sunset highlights, profusely bubbly.  Aromas: Generous mixed fruit preserves showing strawberry, plum, blackcurrant and apricot, plus hints of vanilla taffy and hints of toast.  Very light, lively and softly structured, barely sweet, the bright berry and citrus flavors dance across the palate.  A little pie crust shows itself in the sophisticated minerally dry finish.

Outstanding value ($16).  Alcohol content: 12.5%.

Food pairing: Very thin whole wheat toast slathered with Swiss blackcurrant preserves.

Vinum Cellars Rosé It's Okay 2005

You have to appreciate the down-to-earth yet creative approach, and the results.  By bleeding off some pink juice from their Napa Cab crush, Vinum Cellars winemaker/owners Richard Bruno and Chris Condos are able to produce both this brilliant rosé plus a highly concentrated red Cab.

Bruno and Condos report the 2005 Rosé is now sold out, but the 1371 cases were produced from 100% Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, grown by Jim Frediani in the Calistoga area.

Tasting Notes: Color: Deep brilliant cherry red, transparent.  Aromas: Fruit, along the lines of cherry, raspberry, plum, apple, and lemon, plus hints of cold blossoms.  Medium-bodied with light tannins, the mouthwatering tart fruit punch flavors finish bone dry with a kick.

Excellent value ($9).  Closure: Screw cap.  Alcohol content: 14%.

Here's another creative feature: "A portion of the profits from this wine is donated to a national Breast Cancer Research Foundation."

Food pairing: Shrimp and chorizo pizza.

Babcock Winery Big Fat Pink Shiraz 2005

With the market flooded with excellent Syrah, what did Bryan Babcock do with tons of perfect 2005 Syrah that was surplus? He made a supersize Rosé out of it, and his wife Lisa captured the mode and mood with her clothing-inspired label design.  What a creative way to attract new customers to a family winery.

The composition of Babcock's Big Fat Pink Shiraz is 89% Syrah from Estelle Vineyard and 11% Cabernet Franc from Terra Alta Vineyard, both in Santa Ynez Valley. Vinification was all stainless steel, with a small (5%) portion allowed to undergo malolactic fermentation. Alcohol is a hefty 14%, and residual sugar is negligible. Production: 1876 cases. Tasting Notes.  Color: Orange tinted vibrant pink. Aromas: Cherry, orange, blueberry and cotton candy. The mouthfeel is fat and juicy, sweet-tart around the tongue, and there are very mild tannins. Ample fruit and tea flavors linger into the crisp finish. Closure: Artificial "neocork". Excellent value ($15).

Hendry Ranch Napa Valley Rosé 2005

What to do with an abundance of high quality - make that exceptional - fruit, when there are only so many barrels available for aging? In 2005, this be the case, why not make a remarkable rosé priced for everyday?

Hendry's 2005 Rosé is pretty big, at 13.9% alcohol. The blend is a saignée, or "bleeding", of Primitivo and kissing cousin Zinfandel. Fermentation was long, cool, in small bins, and the aging was 4 months in stainless. Mike Hendry's vineyard management and winemaking skills are really together with this vintage. Tasting Notes:  Color: Watermelon pink transparent. Aromas: Delicate mixed fruit; strawberry, watermelon, apricot, grapefruit, and cold blossoms. On the tongue, this zippy rose is light-bodied with lightly extracted structure. Grapefruity tart assorted fruits, especially sour cherry, grow on you and then make you take notice in the finish. Closure: Real cork.

Excellent value ($14). Food pairing: Steelhead trout almondine and dirty rice.