ROSÉ WINES

We are mildly amused by the reaction of most people to the thought of drinking a rosé or pink wine.  "Oh, no!  We don't want anything sweet!" 

Or: "We want real wine."

Years ago, in the late-1960s and early 1970s, the fashionable wines were Blue Nun Liebfraumilch, Mouton-Cadet from Bordeaux, a straw-covered bulb-shaped bottle from Tuscany and a pair of Portuguese pink wines.  Mateus came in a flagon, while Lancer's was put into a "crock" bottle.  From France came "Nectar-Rose," a Cabernet rosé from the Loire Valley.  Almaden, then a large winery in San Jose and Hollister, used to make a delightful Grenache Rosé.  Paul Masson made a fizzy rosé called "Crackling Rosé."  Naturally, these wines were sweet, relying on sugar for their character. 

In Mediterranean regions where people have been drinking wines for more than a few years, rosé wines are not uncommon.  In fact, they're embraced with tremendous enthusiasm! 

In Spain, for example, we found many restaurants with a dozen or two rosé wines, but a couple of whites and then the obligatory 30-50 red wines.  And the wines there are not sugary, sweet insipid excuses for wine.  They can be flavorful and stone, bone dry. 

France produces many wonderful rosé wines.  

 

The Rhone Valley's "Tavel" is famous and usually expensive (compared to other pink wines...That is not longer the case, with some wines from Provence costing a pretty penny).  
The Tavel appellation is seen only on the pink wine; you won't find a white or red version of Tavel.  Grenache is "the" grape of this famed rosé.  

Provence also produces a wide array of pink wines, especially famous being those from Bandol.   In Provence, by the way, the wines with a more light orange/onion skin/pale salmon color are highly prized.  They don't care much for deep cherry red colored pink wines.  As mentioned earlier on this page, some of the pink wines of Provence now can be extremely pricey.

Bordeaux even offers rosé, yet where are you likely to find that?  These wines, you see, never attain high numerical scores in the various journals because these are simply not fancy enough for wine geeks. 

 

California has been producing rosé wines for decades.  They were typically made when red grapes didn't achieve a sufficient degree of ripeness to make a big red wine.   Then, when growers planted tons of red grapes in the early 1970s, the market wanted fruity wines and wineries obliged making "white wines" (well, they were not red...some were pink or had the color of onion skins) from red grapes.  Some were not saleable as "rosé," but sold as Blanc de Noir, snobby wine drinkers would buy. 

In the early 1970s, almost every winery seemed to have a rosé!  Caymus called its rosé "Oeil de Perdrix" (Eye of the Partridge) and the wine was made of Pinot Noir.  

Robert Mondavi made a beautiful Gamay Rosé from Napa Valley fruit.  At a dinner where I was trying to translate Italian and English for Mr. Mondavi and a prominent Barolo winemaker, we spoke about wines from the first decade of "Robert Mondavi Winery" and I mentioned this Gamay Rosé and his eyes lit up.
"That was a good wine!" he cried.  
And he was right!

Mirassou used to make a dynamite "Petite Sirah Rosé." 

 Sebastiani had "Eye of the Swan."

When this wine hit the market on its annual release day, we knew it was Spring Time!
The Heitz family sold the winery in 2018 and its new owners have made a number of changes, including (at least for now) not making this fabulous wine.
Those grapes are now used for a simple sparkling wine called "Brendel."

While the Heitz Rosé was remarkably floral and a fruit basket (we suspect many of the vines are not actually Grignolino, but likely Brachetto), the fizzy Brendel wine is one dimensional and far less fragrant.

 

 

Mill Creek, in Sonoma's Healdsburg, made a Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé, as did Simi nearby.  The Kreck family (as in Mill Kreck) copyrighted or trademarked the term "Blush" for its "Cabernet Blush."  Other wineries, finding this term to have marketing power, could call their pink wines "Blush" wines only if they paid a royalty fee to the Krecks!
Eventually, though, the term became a popular description for virtually any Rosé and it was easier for consumers to remember and pronounce (than "Blanc de Noirs" or "Oeil de Perdrix).
The Kreck family continues to make a pink wine, but these days it's simply labeled as Cabernet Rosé.



David Bruce was one of the first to make a "Blanc de Noirs," produced from Zinfandel, if memory serves.  This was a brownish, onion-skin-colored wine.  

Bob Magnani at Grand Cru Vineyards in the Sonoma Valley made a "Nouveau"-styled wine, as well as a Blanc de Noirs.  Sutter Home, at that time a producer of "serious," big Zinfandels from Amador County fruit, made a "Blanc de Noirs."  This was a "White Zinfandel" and theirs was a bit sweet.   This turned into a massively popular wine and made the Trinchero family wealthy in no time!  They had struck gold!  


I was affiliated with a small winery in those ancient days.  This place made really good, bone dry rosé wines of Grignolino, Petite Sirah, Cabernet, etc.  I took these to a snobby, snooty San Francisco wine shop.  The owner or manager laughed when I presented these wines, not even wanting to taste them!  "We don't sell rosé in this store!" he proudly informed me.
I was disheartened, but amused at the same time.  For, you see, right next to the sales counter was a stack of rosé wine!  But it was sold as a Blanc de Noirs table (still) wine.  It was from Domaine Chandon and called "Tâche Nature."  
So....a rosé by any other name..................

Today there is still a large sea of White Zinfandel.  Most of this is made from over-cropped vineyards in California's massive Central Valley.  The grapes have very little character, yet when made as a somewhat sweet wine, they manage to find a market for this.

Making a flavorful, good quality pink wine, call it rosé, blush, vin gris or anything else you like, is a tricky piece of work.

To achieve the right color, most winemakers macerate the grape skins, which offer color, tannin, flavor and fragrance, for some modest amount of time.  Too short a period and the wine lacks color and flavor.  Too long a maceration period and the wine becomes too dark and perhaps even a bit astringent (from the tannin). 

Large, behemoth factories would make rosé wine by merely "coloring" a tank of white wine with some very dark red.   If you add a few gallons of inky, dark Alicante Bouschet to a tank of Colombard or Thompson Seedless white  wine:   Voilà!  Rosé (or the terrible term :  "Blush Chablis").   Ferment the wine until it is bone dry.  Then add grape concentrate or unfermented or partially-fermented juice to achieve the exact amount of sweetness desired.

Today many California winemakers 'bleed' off liquid from their fermentation tanks full of juice and grape skins.  This allows them to have a greater skin-to-juice ratio and make, perhaps, a bigger red wine.
In doing so, they end up making small amounts of pink wine.
This process is called Saignée, a French term for "bleeding."
Since these grapes cost a fortune, many vintners feel obliged to charge a high price.
And so the term "bleeding" may have more than one significance.


Keep in mind, though, producers whose first interest is "rosé" wine are making theirs from fruit picked at a modest sugar level.  

This is rather different from these California winemakers who are picking grapes at a potential alcohol level of 15% or more.  Rosé wines with elevated alcohols simply miss the mark...

Okay.  That's the scoop on rosé and pink wine.

SOME ROSÉS WE LIKE:

UMATHUM 2021 "ROSA" $19.99

One of the top, elite winemakers of Austria is a guy named Josef Umathum.  His beautiful cellar is located in the Burgenland and you'll need an hour and a half, typically to drive there from Vienna.

We were so delighted by his 2012 Rose, that I trekked to the cellar a few years to pay homage to this fellow and to taste his other wines!

If you would have told us that the 2012 Rose from an Austrian vintner would be our best-selling pink wine over the years, I'd have suggested you have your head examined.
Seriously?  Are you nuts?
Or as young folks say today, "WTF?"

But, I kid you not...this wine was so well received, we were shocked.  People who had never bought Rose wines were returning to buy 6 or 12 bottles of this!

It still is quite popular and customers can't easily remember the name Umathum, but they do remember the distinctive bottle and the glass stopper.

The 2021 is now in stock  It's a blend of three varieties which are relatively unknown in these parts:  Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and Saint Laurent.  This has some nice red fruit notes to it...raspberries...cherries...it's dry and even has a suggestion of tannin, adding to its 'dry' character.  The color is  light red and certainly youthful.  

Umathum does not use a screw-cap for this wine, nor does he use a cork.  Instead, this comes in a special proprietary bottle and it's sealed with a glass stopper.  All you need is a thumb to open this and based upon consumer reaction, this is worthy of a "thumbs up"!!!

Winemaker Josef "Pepi" Umathum in his new cellar...he makes a lot of red wine, so there's an impressive room full of small oak barrels.
The Rosa wine is not aged in oak, however.

ARNOT ROBERTS 2021 ROSÉ  $29.99

Arnot Roberts is a small winery located in Sonoma County's Healdsburg area.
They are viewed as being somewhat of a contrarian producer, but in fact, this is simply a case of what's-old-is-new-again.

They are credited with making wines more similar to European offerings, meaning they tend to have lower alcohol than is currently normal in California and that corresponds to higher levels of acidity.
Even many European winemakers pick grapes of higher sugar levels (and often lower acidity) to produce wines for today's wine critic (and many consumers).

We've tasted Arnot Roberts wines for a number of years and often find the wines are well-made and correct, but perhaps lacking in character.
They will argue this is because of picking fruit based on the parameters of lower alcohol and bracing acidity.
Perhaps their wines will age beautifully and evolve into something particularly exceptional.



The 2021 vintage Rosé caught our eye, though, as did the 2020 vintage.

It's from a vineyard in Lake County owned by the Luchsinger Family.  This father and daughter team have an interesting range of grapes, including some Portuguese varieties.

This estate is maybe 32 miles north of Calistoga, close to the western edge of Clear Lake.

Arnot Roberts ferments a mixed blend of varieties for their 2021 vintage Rosé.  It's said to be about 67% Touriga Nacional with Gamay Noir, Tinta Cao and a drop of Grenache.  Happily they did the fermentation in stainless steel and bottled it early to capture the red berry fruit notes we look for in fresh, bright pink wines.

It's bone dry and crisp.

Bravo!

ANCIENT PEAKS  "ONE STONE"

Most people consider the region of San Luis Obispo to be a rather warm site, producing wines of high octane and low acidity.  But, in fact, there are some microclimates which defy the prevailing "wisdom" regarding this Central Coast area.

Ancient Peaks is located in Santa Margarita, California...some 14 miles east of Morro Bay and 18 miles north of Pismo Beach.  The "recent" history of this property goes back to the 1990s when the family of Napa Valley's Robert Mondavi winery invested in planting vineyards on the diverse soils and various microclimates of this relatively "virgin" vineyard land.  

When the Robert Mondavi winery and its vineyards were sold to a big drinks company, this property was put on the market as Constellation Brands had little interest in yet one more brand of wine.  Three San Luis families partnered to buy the vineyards and launch the Ancient Peaks winery.

We tasted through a range of Ancient Peaks wines and the star of that show is a wine bearing their "One Stone" label.

Their 2022 Rosé of Pinot Noir is a superb bottle of wine.

It reminds us more of European pink wines than typical Rosés from California.  The alcohol is below 14% for one thing.
For another, the aromatics are stunningly good...lots of red berry and cherry notes.
It's dry and snappy on the palate, having crisp acidity.

We've suggested this to numerous customers and the fan club is growing.


One Stone is a totally refreshing wine...a perfect warm weather bottle!

By the way, the One Stone "project" helps fund a charity called "Dream Big Darling" which helps mentor the next generation of women working in the wine business.
DreamBigDarling.Org

Currently in stock: ONE STONE 2022 Central Coast ROSÉ of PINOT NOIR  $15.99

ESPRIT GASSIER "CÔTES DE PROVENCE" ROSÉ $24.99
The Gassier family has been in Provence for centuries and in 1982 they purchased some 40 hectares of land in the environs of Sainte-Victoire where they currently cultivate organically and make some good, classic Provençal Rosé.

The 2022 Rosé is based on Grenache, as you might expect.  Add to the mix of this beautifully aromatic, dry pink wine is Syrah, Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and the white grape called Rolle.

Its youthfulness is on display, with red berry-like fruit and perhaps a note of orange citrus.



Well worth a look!

MASSERIA LI VELI

Italy's Puglia region has long been known for its wine production.  

For years it's supplied wineries in the north with dark-colored reds which have been used to surreptitiously "fortify" lighter-colored wines from the Veneto and Piemonte.  We recall being told about a winery making Amarone where the young winemaker added some Puglian red and, not knowing his son already fortified the tank, added some more Puglian red.  The unsuspecting visiting wine writers that day did not suspect any shenanigans, but the father and son were both surprised when they tasted the tank sample being shown...

Masseria Li Veli has been around for ages, but its current chapter is rather recent.

The property was purchased in 1999 when the Falvo family sold their highly-esteemed winery in Tuscany, the famous Avignonesi property.  They had been making a hugely famous Vino Nobile as well as a benchmark Vin Santo.  

Now they've traded Sangiovese and Trebbiano for other grapes.  

The Susumaniello variety is one which was nearly extinct.  There was an obscure, old vineyard planted, it's thought, just after World War II.  It was a mixed vineyard with one patch for Negro Amaro, a major red grape from Puglia, one patch of Malvasia Nera and one parcel with Susumaniello to add color to the others.  

We understand that as of 2010 there were buy 20 hectares of Susumaniello.  But these days there's greater interest in the grape and we've been delighted with Li Veli's red version.  

The 2022 Rosato is a recent arrival and its production is rather limited.

It's beautifully fresh and aromatic, with aromas of passion-fruit and what we interpret as "green," herbal notes.  It's dry and fruity.  

Currently in stock:  2022 MASSERIA LI VELI SUSUMANIELLO ROSATO  $26.99

.  

POJER e SANDRI  "VIN DEI MOLINI" 2021 "ROSATO" $18.99

Ever heard of a grape called Rotberger?
You're not alone if you said "no."

It's a variety that the University at Geisenheim in Germany's Rheingau came up with in 1939.  The crossing is Riesling with Schiava.  In the Sudtirol Schiava goes by its German name, Vernatsch.

The red grape Schiava is a bit weak in color, so making it into a pink wine is sheer genius.  But making it into a really aromatic and delicious rosato takes some skill and attention to detail.

We suspect this will be the best Rotberger Rosé you've ever tasted.  

It has a faintly herbal note along the lines of some Sauvignon Blanc wines.  Maybe a touch of cassis, too.

Dry and light, yet with plenty of flavor, we enjoyed this recently with Dim Sum...

Damned good.

The new importer for Pojer e Sandri was uncertain about his customers being interested in such an esoteric wine but has since found there is interest in this lovely dry pink wine!

No wonder!

ARCA NOVA 2021  $10.99

 

If you've  been looking for a dynamite example of Rosé made from the Espadeiro grape, here you go!
It's also got a bit of Touriga Nacional, since it seems to be illegal to make a Portuguese wine without that grape.

This is a gorgeous example of Vinho Verde and it even has a classic hint of fizz to it.

The color this year has been  a bit lighter than for some previous vintages, but the fragrances and flavors are quite similar to the berryish wine of last year...and we noticed the wine seems to be acquiring more color as it's aging in the bottle.

It's quite crisp and nicely zesty and the wine seems to be quite dry.

This wine seems to cause those who have purchased it to be a bit perplexed.
We routinely see people returning to buy additional bottles after having purchased a single bottle for "research" purposes.
They cannot believe the wine is "this good and it costs so little."

Exactly.

Trust your taste.
You don't have to pay an arm and a leg to get a good bottle of Rosé.

But we understand that people feel a little bit guilty.  They seem to think they're stealing or getting away with murder.

WHISPERING ANGEL 2021 CÔTES de PROVENCE ROSÉ  Sale $24.99

This wine company makes a number of Rosé wines and has its home-base in La Motte, about 45 minutes west of Cannes and an hour and twenty minutes east of Aix-en-Provence.  It's the brainchild of Sasha Lichine whose father Alexis was a major mover-and-shaker in the wine world who worked in nearly every phase of the wine industry.

Lichine (Alexis) had purchased a winery in Bordeaux called Château Le Prieuré which he was able to rename as  Château Prieuré-Lichine.  This was a property in the Margaux appellation which was very popular in the 1970s and 1980s, as Lichine offered a good wine at a favorable price.  He died in 1989 and his son Sacha sold the winery and pursued other interests.

In 2006 Lichine bought the Château d'Esclans property in Provence and he's built the business in a most efficient manner.  But keep in mind Château d'Esclans is a wine estate with vineyards while the Whispering Angel wine comes from the "Caves d'Esclans" which is a negociant business.  They may make some wine and augment the production with tanks purchased on the bulk market.

They make a few different bottlings, but the one called Whispering Angel has gained some traction in the market and we get requests for it.  I suspect part of their success is due to having a perfectly satisfactory wine in a bottle with a brand name that Americans can easily pronounce.
We suspect they've gained a bit of a market thanks to the split up or divorce of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt who were behind the wine called Château Miraval.  As some consumers are no longer drinking the Rosé of the Hollywood stars, they've found the "next hot wine" in Whispering Angel.
Brad Pitt and winemaker Marc Perrin are continuing to produce Miraval Rosé, though.
Their 2021 is better than they've had, so that's good news.

So Esclans' Whispering Angel is primarily Grenache with a bit of Cinsault and the white grape called Rolle.
They say the grapes are picked from sunrise to noon so as to not bring the fruit in at an elevated temperature.  The grapes pass through an optical sorting machine to kick out anything that's not quite right.  It's fermented in stainless steel tanks and they stir the lees periodically.  Bottled young and fresh, of course.

We've tasted the entire portfolio...perfectly good wines.  They make one called Garrus from seriously old Grenache and Rolle which is fermented in oak.  It retails for about $100 and gives one a different perspective on Rosé.
But you can buy half a case of more cheerful pink wines for the price of one bottle of Garrus.
We liked the wine, though but most customers looking for Rosé want something south of $25 a bottle.

CHATEAU DE CAMPUGET 2022 COSTIERES DE NÎMES  SALE $10.99

This 160 hectare estate is situated between Arles and the town of Nimes and it's owned by the Dalle family.  Jean-Lin Dalle is assisted by his son, Franck-Lin (Jean-Lin's a history buff and has an appreciation for American founding father Benjamin Franklin).  We don't know if they follow NBA basketball and are fans of sharp-shooter (and former Golden State Warrior player) Jeremy Lin.

We've found their recipe for Rose to be rather good and the wine arrived at an attractive price, too.
(We noticed a wine merchant not far from our shop is offering this at a 20% discount.  This sounds mighty attractive until you see the price is $35.)


The 2022 is 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache Noir.  Lots of berryish fruit and the wine is nice and dry.

Tasting at Campuget...

The vineyards...as you can see, they do not employ chemical weed-killer to the vines.

LOPEZ HEREDIA

We periodically are allocated a few bottles of the Viña Tondonia Rosado...a few bottles of the 2012 arrived in the early summer of 2022...yes!  Ten years old and it's their "freshest" "pink" wine.

They tell us it's predominantly Garnacho (as they call it) with 30% Tempranillo and about 10% of the white grape, Viura.

This is a world apart from the typical, fresh, youthful, aromatically fruity pink wines in the shop.

Currently in stock:  LOPEZ HEREDIA 2012 VIÑA TONDONIA  Sold Out

CASAL GARCIA  VINHO VERDE ROSE  $8.99
This is a remarkably good, dry pink wine from Portugal...it's from a winery a few miles outside of Oporto and they're famous for their Vinho Verde.

If you've been searching for a rose made from 30% Vinhao, 35% Azal Tinto, and 35% Borracal, here's your wine.

It's fresh, strawberryish and slightly sweet, with a faint spritz to it.  Between the fresh and fruity notes and the low price, it's routinely been a popular wine.

This is a delightful wine, flavorful and low in alcohol.

  Domaines Ott Rosé 2021 "Clos des Mireille"  (List $65)  SALE $54.99

The fancy bottle was designed in the 1930s and the Ott family makes one of France's most esteemed rosé wines in Provence.

The family owns three estates: 
Clos Mireille,  producing Côtes de Provence white wine and a rosé.

Château Romassan, a Bandol property where they make red, white and rosé.

Château de Selle, their original and oldest holding in the Côtes de Provence where they make rosé and red wine.

The 2021 from Clos des Mireille  is 70% Grenache with 25% Cinsault and 5% Syrah.

 

 I think this wine is best served with Provençal-styled cuisine.  Bouillabaisse wouldn't be a bad idea.   Nor would something incorporating saffron.  Olives...Pesto...Mediterranean fare.

CLOS CIBONNE

This little property is located about an hours' drive east of Marseille and about an hour and a half west of Nice.  You'd need about half an hour, driving east, from Bandol.  And like Bandol, it's within view of the little harbor of Toulon, where you'd catch a boat to Corsica.

The domaine takes its name from a sailor who was a captain in Louis The 16th's navy who owned the place in the late 1700s.  Captain Jean-Baptiste de Cibon died in 1797 and the estate was sold to the Roux family.  
Andre Roux, who passed away in 1989, had planted a lot of the Tibouren grape on the property before World War II.  

This variety is rather obscure, but if you drive a couple of hours into Italy, you may find the same grape which is called Rossese di Dolceacqua.  Some theories postulate this grape originated in the Middle East or Greece.  

The Roux family still cultivates Tibouren and it's a specialty of this domaine.  

But this is not a fruity, care-free little wine that's bottled a few months after the harvest...instead they ferment it in stainless steel, temperature controlled tanks for about ten days and then it's racked in ancient cooperage, foudres which are a century old. They typically blend a small amount of Grenache into the final cuvee. The wine then remains in those old wooden vats for about a year before it's bottled. 

It's a mildly minerally Rose, with an orange-hue to its coloring.  The wine pairs nicely with a classic seafood stew, though the winery web site claims it's ideal paired with red mullet or a lamb curry.  

Currently in stock:  2020 CLOS CIBONNE Tibouren Rose Sold Out

Olivier and Claude Deforge

RIVE SUD   2021  PINOT NOIR ROSE from FRANCE    $10.99

 

We've now had several vintages of this delightful, simple Pinot Noir Rose from a fairly large producer in the town of Limoux.

That region is located in the vast Languedoc area and they're a short drive south of the city of Carcassonne.  

Limoux is more noted for a sparkling wine, but this little Rose is a pleasant surprise and it's well-priced at a mere ten bucks.

The wine takes the appellation of Vin de Pays d'Oc...and it's from high elevation Pinot Noir vineyards.  Hand picked, too!

It's a delicious, mildly cherryish Rose...we've especially liked this with ham or smoked pork.

DOMAINE De L'HORTUS 2021  $15.99

The Orliac family owns this modest domaine, one of the quality leaders in the Pic St. Loup appellation in the Languedoc.  

The photo on the right shows young François Orliac in their rocky vineyards.
This is the eighth or ninth vintage of their Rosé that we've had in the shop.  It used to be made of juice bled off their red wine production, starting with the 2015, they've done a direct pressing of the grapes. 

It used to be a blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache.  This vintage is is just the Grenache and Syrah.  You'll find a lot of raspberryish notes in this wine and it's perfect for taming spicy foods.  It's a great picnic wine, too.

AMEZTOI 2021 "RUBENTIS" TXAKOLINA  $24.99 (last bottles)

From Spain's Basque country comes this delicious and really crisp, tangy pink wine.  It's perhaps too dry for many people, but if you enjoy wines with bracing acidity, then you should give this a try.

The center of production for the Basque wine called Txakoli or Txakolina where they make a dry white wine from two unusual varieties:  Hondarribi Zuri, a white grape and it's blended with the red grape called Hondarribi Zuri which is vinified as a white wine.

It's a wonderful wine for seafood and in the town of Getaria, the center of Txakolina production, there's a fishing fleet that brings magnificent fish to the town's dining hot spots where they do a simple preparation which elevates the wine to dizzying heights.

Ameztoi is run by Ignacio Ameztoi, the seventh generation to grow grapes and make wine.

The wine is low in alcohol, weighing in between 10.5% and 11%.  And they vinify it at low temperatures which allows the wine to retain a bit of carbon dioxide.  It's bottled in its youth to capture a tiny bit of the effervescence.  This actually reinforces the acidity, so if we want to sell the wine, we'd describe it as "crisp."  Marketing people caution against using the term "tart" as many people will shy away from that.
So we'll tell you this is crisp and leave it at that.

If you're having sushi, tempura, fried fish, fried chicken or some Jamón Iberico, you might try a bottle of this.  While it lasts.

Post-Script:  We saw this on the wine list at NOPA in The City and ordered a bottle to share with some Italian winemaker friends a couple of years ago.  They'd never has Txakoli and were delighted by the wine (and the food at NOPA). 

HEITZ 2018 Napa Valley GRIGNOLINO ROSÉ 

A sure sign of Summer was the arrival of Heitz old-fashioned, dry, Napa Valley rosé made of the Italian Grignolino variety.

The Heitz family sold its name and winery to another family from the southeast.  Gaylon Lawrence Jr. has acres and acres of citrus groves along with other investments (such as a bank and a heating & air conditioning company).

The late Joe Heitz made a traditionally-styled Rosé, with skin contact to provide color, aromas and flavor.

The new winemaker, a young gal named Brittany Sherwood, was trained by David Heitz and she's been with the winery since 2013, or so.

Curiously, though, she's changed the vinification for the Rosé, minimizing the skin contact.  She says this produces a wine with "fresher, delicate textures" as a result.

We were skeptical, but bought a bottle for a dinner and, happily, the wine is still quite good.  All things being equal, we'd suggest going back to the historical vinification of this wine.

But the 2018 displayed mild fruit aromas with notes suggesting peach and melon.  

It's dry and reasonably crisp on the palate.  Now sold out and it's unclear if they will make more.







UPDATE:  We tasted their new label of BRENDEL Rose...bought a bottle of the 2019 vintage.  
it's a sparkling pink wine that's quite dry and perfectly pleasant.  We did not find the aromas of sweet fruits and flowers which has typified Heitz Rose over the past 20 or 30 years.  If they want to make bubbly out of that fruit, they should consider capturing the fruity notes for which the wine was justly famous.  Otherwise it's just fizz.

Currently in stock: 2018 HEITZ CELLAR GRIGNOLINO ROSÉ  Sold Out...

Elisa Scavino of the Paolo Scavino winery in Castiglione Falletto.


Izzy Oddero of the Oddero winery in La Morra.

DOMAINE TEMPIER

The Tempier estate in the Provençal region of Bandol has become an iconic label over the past decade, or two.

The quality of the wines has improved and the wines are reliably good.  

Tempier is owned by the Peyraud family and Lucien Peyraud had been instrumental with promoting Bandol as a grand vin on par with famous Bordeaux and Burgundy wines.  His sons took over the estate in the 1970s, but these days the operations are overseen by Daniel Ravier.

They have had about 40 hectares of vineyards, but over the past few years they've increased their holdings, not wanting to buy grapes.  They prefer to manage the vineyards themselves. And they farm organically and biodynamically.

Their Rosé has become hugely popular and the importer actually allocates a box or two to their numerous accounts.

The wine is based, of course, on Mourvèdre (55% is the normal percentage) with the balance being Grenache and Cinsault.  No Syrah or Carignane.

You might notice many Rosés from Provence are very pale in color, Tempier's has a fairly healthy pink tone.    Ravier feels many of the really pale-colored Rosés lack character and consistency.

The price of the 2018 vintage jumped about 15% from that of the 2017.   And yet the wine remains in great demand.

Is it superior to other Bandol Rosés?  
We can say it's a very good rendition and given the marketing work of the local importer, it's got great brand recognition.

Currently in stock:  2021 DOMAINE TEMPIER BANDOL ROSÉ  Sold Out

DOMAINE AMIDO 2021 TAVEL ROSÉ   $19.99
With some 30 hectares spread out between Tavel and Lirac in the Southern Rhône Valley, Christian Amido has been at the helm of this estate for nearly 25 years!   They built a new facility in 2001.

"Grandpa" Armand Maby was involved in the various family enterprises and he showed us around the Tavel and Lirac appellations the first time we visited a few years ago...sadly, he passed away, but the kids still run the place.


The recipe is a good one, the wine having a subtle spice note and a touch of berry fruit without being a fruit bomb.  Of course, it's dry.  The 2021 blend is Grenache (65%) with 20% Cinsault, 10% Syrah and 5% Clairette.  Amido leaves the skins in contact with the juice for a day-and-a-half, enough to extract a bit of color, but not enough to pick up astringency in the wine.

It's a cherry red color and displays a berryish, red fruit fragrance.

Of course, this is dry on the palate.

The 2021 has just arrived and got the "thumbs up" after a couple of vintages that we skipped.

CHATEAU LA CANORGUE

From the Cotes du Luberon we have this splendid dry Rosé from Jean-Pierre Margan's Chateau La Canorgue.

This beautiful property was the filming location for the Russell Crowe movie, A Good Year.  The property is so nice, we understand someone from the Rockefeller family presented Jean-Pierre with a blank check, saying "fill in the amount and leave."  He told them "merci, but non merci!"

Jean-Pierre has long been farming with an eye towards organic viticulture.  In fact, he's farming biodynamically.

The 2017 Rosé is a delight...a shade more color than last year's.  You might say it bridges the gap between typical Rosé from Provence and the Rhône. The wine is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre...dry and fresh, with some berry and spice notes.

LE ROC ROSÉ  2017 (FRONTON) SOLD OUT
Château Le Roc is the leading estate in the Fronton region near Toulouse.

The Ribes brothers make some terrific wines, using the Negrette grape (we call it Pinot Saint George here in California).  In addition to the Negrette, there's 35% Syrah and 5% Cabernet.

Their 2017 Rosé is berryish and dry with a touch of spice.  Good value.
Remarkably balanced, too...

 

 

 

STOLPMAN VINEYARDS & WINERY

The Stolpman story has its origins in the Napa Valley when newlyweds Tom and Marilyn Stolpman were on their honeymoon.  They fancied the idea of a vineyard and maybe a winery while on that little retreat from reality.

Then in 1988 he found a site in Santa Barbara which had a lot of limestone and so he purchased a 220 acre property in Ballard Canyon on which he envision growing a few grapevines to make wines along the likes of the one they enjoyed from Europe.

The winery was founded in 1990 and today the family cultivates more than 150 acres of vines!

We tasted a number of wines with seemingly hand-written labels such as that bottle depicted above.  It's from a series of wines they called "So Fresh," as the wines are vinified from un-crushed grapes which are harvested at modest sugar levels to retain higher acidity.  These, we're told, are wines which are bottled young and with minimal sulfites.  

The 2021 "Love You Bunches" Rosé is made of fruit from Santa Barbara vineyards and some in southern San Luis Obispo County.  It's 80% Grenache and the balance evenly split between Mourvèdre and Syrah.

We like the European styling here:  Lower-than-Normal alcohol for a California wine and it's nicely crisp and tangy.  We find hint of peach, melon and maybe a raspberry, or two on the nose and palate.  

 

Currently in stock:  2021 STOLPMAN "LOVE YOU BUNCHES" ROSÉ  Sold Out

 

 

LANCER'S
We get numerous requests for Lancer's Rosé and are happy to special order it for our customers.
It currently goes for $6.99 before the 12 bottle case discount.

If you're interested in a case, please call us to place your order.

This is what it used to look like:  

This is how it looks these days: 

MATEUS

This goes for $7.99 a bottle.   I bought one to taste it just to check it out.

It's pale pink, sort of onion skin color.  Sweet...not much fruit on the nose...

And it still comes in its flagon-shaped bottle.  We actually have a few bottles in stock...

BLUE NUN
Back in the early 1970s, Blue Nun was "the" German wine.  It took the mystery out of buying a bottle of Riesling...you did not have to know hard-to-pronounce names such as "Weingut Reichsrat Von Buhl  Forster Kirchenstuck  Riesling Spätlese trocken Grosses Gewächs."

Blue Nun won't be winning any blind-tastings of German wine, but it is still available for those customers who have a case of nostalgia and want a case of Blue Nun.

MOUTON CADET
This wine is purportedly from Bordeaux.

It sort of tastes like a Bordeaux, but we wouldn't be surprised if other wines were blended with Bordeaux to create Mouton Cadet.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, chic wine drinkers knew this brand as being a symbol of good taste and sophistication.  I think today the same people (or their offspring) buy wines such as California's Far Niente or Cakebread to demonstrate their status as bon vivants.  

The white wine equivalent of Mouton Cadet came from the Burgundy firm of Louis Jadot.  (See below...)

LOUIS JADOT
You have to give the people credit who would come into a shop or restaurant and try to pronounce the name of this wine.

"Do you have any Lou-ee Jar-dott Polly-Foos?"

"Where's the Louis Jadot Pussy Fussee?"

It was a sign of sophistication, to be sure, to be able to order a bottle of this wine in a restaurant.  Your guests knew you were a sharp, well-heeled individual.  The waiter knew and so did the bus boy.

I think yesterday's Pouilly-Fuissé drinker is today's buyer of Far Niente or Cakebread Chardonnay.  

If you want some bottles of Jadot Pouilly-Fuissé  or their perfectly ordinary Macon Villages, let me know and we'll special order these for you. 

BACK TO OUR HOME PAGE

Wine Tasting Today

TO INQUIRE ABOUT A WINE:  gerald@weimax.com

Copyright © 1999    WEIMAX   September 30, 2023