Wine & Spirits - August 2012 - (Page 48)

YEAR’S BEST ROSÉ Our blind panels tasted 243 new-release rosé wines over the past 12 months. Our critics rated 17 as exceptional (90+) and 24 as Best Buys. Joshua Greene reviews wines from California; Patrick J. Comiskey covers NYS and Oregon, and Tara Q. Thomas reviews imported rosés. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com. C ALI FO RN I A 418095 | Acrobat $ $ 182595 | Dragonette Cellars 2011 Santa Ynez Valley Rosé This wine has a cool, caressing texture, layering gentle raspberry, strawberry and citrus scents in a mouthwatering, slightly salty ﬁnish. Mostly grenache (70 percent) with mourvedre and syrah, the blend is impressive for its harmony. Delicious with little fried baitﬁsh. (485 cases) Dragonette Cellars, Lompoc, CA 415956 2011 Oregon Rosé of Pinot Noir (Best Buy) Saline and broad, with scents of sour strawberry and ﬂavors that feel substantial, this is a rosé to chill for an aperitif. (3,500 cases) King Estate Winery, Eugene, OR | Gustave Lorentz $ AUSTRIA 183598 | Biohof Pratsch $ | Curtis $ 2010 Santa Barbara County Heritage Rosé Bright anise and strawberry scents drive this simple, dry rosé based on grenache, mataro, cinsault and syrah. It’s balanced, not boozy. A lovely picnic wine for cured meats. (396 cases) Curtis Winery, Los Olivos, CA 2011 Niederosterreich Cuvée Rosé (Best Buy) An organically grown zweigelt from the young Stefan Pratsch, this is light and savory, with hints of black cherries and violets. For grilled pork loin. Winesellers, Niles, IL 2011 Alsace Le Rosé Pinot Noir (Best Buy) Georges Lorentz is the seventh generation to run this domaine—now, at 79 acres, the largest family-owned estate in Alsace. His pinot noir rosé is smooth and broad, fullbodied in texture and delicate in ﬂavor. The light spice and fresh mushroom scents deepen its savor, pointing it toward a fava and morel fricassee. Quintessential, Napa, CA 182966 | Alain Jaume & Fils $ FRANCE N EW YO RK 417914 2011 Côtes du Rhône Réserve Grand Veneur (Best Buy) Spot-on Côtes du Rhône rosé, this is fresh, light and dry, the cherry notes seasoned with thyme-like herbality. Pour it with the roast chicken and bread salad out of The Zuni Café Cookbook. Kysela Père et Fils, Winchester, VA 182405 | Anthony Road | Mas de la Dame $ $ 2011 Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc Rosé (Best Buy) This forward, undemanding pink leads with strawberry scents accented by a hint of orange zest. The brisk red cherry ﬂavors are ideal for sipping on a summer evening. (400 cases) Anthony Road Wine Co., Penn Yan, NY 417846 182869 | Clos Clémentine $ | Glenora $ 2011 Finger Lakes Pinot Noir Rosé (Best Buy) Showing a fair amount of acidity for blush pinot, this pretty pink leads with bright watermelon candy accents and cherry ﬂavors marked with a ﬂoral ﬁnish. (555 cases) Glenora Wine Cellars, Dundee, NY O REG O N 417921 | Ponzi $ 2011 Côtes de Provence Rosé (Best Buy) A collaboration between St. Helena-born Steve Veytia, Bordeaux winemaker Thomas Capedeville and Pierre Arosteguy, the owner of a 137-year-old épicerie in Biarritz, this is a fresh, ﬁrm rosé with a distinctively Provençal feel. A blend of roughly equal parts tibouren, cinsault and grenache with 10 percent syrah, it’s fragrant and light, the sweetness of the cherry fruit countered with a pleasantly bitter almond and herbal tone. Pack some ham sandwiches and set out for a picnic. Domaine Select Wine Estates, NY 182868 2011 Les Baux de Provence Rosé de Mas (Best Buy) This is pleasantly rustic, its sweet cherry and strawberry ﬂavors slightly jammy, scented with thyme and rosemary. It would be delicious with roast pork, especially a fattier cut larded with herbs. Palm Bay Int’l., Boca Raton, FL 182913 | Château Mas Neuf $ 2010 Costières de Nîmes Rhône Paradox Rosé (Best Buy) Based on cinsault with bits of syrah, grenache and mourvedre, this is juicy and warm, a slight white pepper burn of alcohol working in tandem with acidity to power the tart cherry ﬂavors along. Give it a chill for ham sandwiches. Valkyrie Selections, San Francisco, CA 183701 | Château Routas $ 2011 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Rosé A wake up call: Exuberant in its cool weather accents, its pale salmon hue and sour cherry scents marked by just the barest hint of smoke, this wine’s energy gives all of that fresh cherry ﬂavor a kick in the pants. For the picnic basket. Ponzi Vineyards, Beaverton, OR 418047 48 W I N E & S P I R I T S A U G U S T 2 0 1 2 | Dom. de l’Hermitage $ 2011 Bandol L’Oratoire This wine’s pale pink-orange hue doesn’t prepare you for its powerful ﬂavors: This is a spicy, meaty rosé, the ﬂavors as dark as black raspberries, with mourvedre’s smoky, earthy rasp. It has the tenor for a duck conﬁt salad. Domaine Select Wine Estates, NY 2011 Coteaux Varois en Provence Rouvière (Best Buy) A weighty rosé, this oﬀers an impressive mouthful of sweet cherry ﬂavors with a white pepper spice. It’s ready for a platter of fried chicken, Korean-style or otherwise. Routas USA, Sausalito, CA http://www.quintessentialwines.com http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com http://www.domaineselect.com/page_templates/Producers.cfm?market=I&producerID=662

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - August 2012

Wine & Spirits - August 2012
Editor’s Note
Happenings
Contents
Fined & Filtered: Lou Bustamante on cocktails aged in cask and bottle
Spirits: Tonic + Gin Reviewed by Lou Bustamante
North American Riesling
Tapas in the Capital of Cava
Prosecco + Prosciutto
Malagousia
Cirò & La Cucina Calabrese
Summer on the Road in Sonoma
Extreme Values
Tastings Overview
Summer Sparklers
Rosé
US Riesling
Rías Baixas/Vinho Verde
Greek Wines
Northeast Italian Wines
American New Releases
Imported New Releases
Joshua Greene on moscato’s sweet disruptions

Wine & Spirits - August 2012