The search for a “wow” Rosé

WINE TALK
41

I have one of these which I am very excited to taste. Very hard to find around my neck of the woods.

I do enjoy the Bedrock and Liquid Farm roses, and the Tempier is also nice. As others have mentioned, I have never had a wow moment with rose either. But I have had some nice summer outdoor lunches with rose - great times but more about the total experience than the wow of the wine.

42

Surprised this one has not been named, yet. It’s by far the best Rose I’ve ever tasted and I think its the highest rated Rose by the “pro critics”, as well.

Chateau d’Esclans Rose Garrus. The 2016 was given 97 points by Decanter.

I had this served to me by Claude Blankiet at a tasting where he was trying to show his Blankiet Rose (damn fine wine, too) against the “best rose in the world”, the Chateau d’Esclans. I remember the tasting well. It was my first time with this wine and it blew me away. Honestly didn’t believe a rose wine would ever do that to me.

43

I agree…completely.

  • 1995 Chateau Musar Rosé - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (9/24/2017)
    NIGHT ONE: I didn’t honestly have high hopes for this after the last bottle we opened on my birthday last year. However…this is just in a lovely spot. It’s actually more like a mature version of the blanc right now. Scents of beeswax, yellow delicious apples, and cherimoya…the nose on this is exotic!! On the palate there’s a hint of dried strawberries, orange marmalade, and star fruit. The finish is long and complex, framed by the high acidity this was just about perfect with salami & a pasta dish with fresh oregano, olive oil, and diced tomatoes with some African blue basil salt. At 22 years old…this still seems like it has plenty of room to age in the cellar. It’s been open now for 3+ hours and there’s no signs of fading or falling apart…I think I might even save some to taste tomorrow and see if it shows as well as some of the blancs do on day two. An extraordinary rosé for those that love rosé and the geekier side of wine…just lovely.

NIGHT TWO: At this point, this wine has been open for 26 hours. Scents of green bananas, brown butter, toffee, and camomile tea are most notable on the nose. The palate is showing slight signs of oxidation with a prickling tart of acidity leading into notes of lime, kiwi, and kumquat on the palate…this wine is a completely different monster tonight!!! I’m sold…such an epic wine. It’s like a completely different wine tonight…and I love it still. Med+ acidity, med+ fruit, with a medium length, highly complex finish. Epic juice…this is the best Rosé that I’ve had. Wow…just wow. Unfortunately this won’t be lasting another night…it’s just too damn good right now. If you have some of this…you’re very lucky.

44

Valentini Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo can take on some serious aging with no problems. The best vintages can be remarkable acid bombs with impressive sense of concentration.
Massa Vecchia Rosato 2006 was an astounding wine, but probably closer to a light yet concentrated red than anything rosé-like, which probably made it feel so wow.
The same thing goes with Oliver Horiot Rosé des Riceys En Barmont 2003.
R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Rosado and Chateau Musar Rosé obviously belong to this category.
Dominio del Aguila Picaro del Aguila is a wonderfully funky, somewhat oxidative, burly and simply weird effort that really redefines what a rosé can be.
Terroir al Limit Roc d’Aubaga is a ridiculously mineral, fresh and complex rosé - really something you couldn’t believe coming from Priorat.
Txomin Etxaniz Txakolin Gorria felt like a freak blend of white Muscadet and lighter, herbaceous Bourgueil red.

1 Like
45

That is likely because OP asked for $40-50 range.

Only one above that range I’d say (and I’m just going to crimp from my Rose thread I started yesterday morning) is Antica Terra’s Angelicall; in order of “wow”

Antica Terra - Angelicall
Clos Cibonne
Ch Pradeaux
Dom de l’Abbaye - Clos Beylesse

46

The Cotat rose is definitely a possible sockknocker.

47

True, especially if he wants one under 50-bucks. [wow.gif]

48

esoteric

49

Lucien Crochet Sancerre Rose (pinot noir)
and I also buy every year Domaine Du Fontsainte Gris de Gris Corbieres Rose

50

The Dominio Dostares Tombú Rosado, made from the Prieto Picudo grape, was excellent, and worth a bulk purchase. Sadly, they lost their U.S. importer a couple of years back, and it no longer comes into our country. If it ever reappears, buy a case.

C.V.N.E. makes a very creditable rosado that I like a lot. Hard to find here, but won’t be a problem for you West-Coasters.

Pierre and Catherine Breton in the Loire make a Cab Franc rose that’s dynamite…when they make it. It’s not made every year, but the QPR is off the chart. Worth a multi-case purchase. It’s on the dark side for a rose, almost a light red.

Perhaps the best rose I’ve had was also the most unusual. It was a “natural” wine made in a garage in the Sierra Foothills, and was very savory and minerally, exceptionally tasty, without being fruity. The name escapes me at the moment but I’ll find it and post here. The vintner is a small producer but the wine has a great reputation among a small group that is “in the know”, and he sells out each vintage immediately.

Edit: Sorry for the late correction, but the maker of the rose in the paragraph above is La Clarine Farm.

1 Like
51

Just had a 2016 Tercero. The best I’ve had. Don’t be afraid to let your rose sit for a year or two. I’ve been wanting to try Tempier but can’t get myself to pay $36 when I can get Tercero or Bedrock for much cheaper

52

I really don’t drink rose anticipating or expecting a “wow’” I do, however get enough “ahhhh” in roses from the likes of Littorai, Arnot-Roberts, Tablas Creek, Bedrock, Tercero, Epoch…and most of all, L’Aventure.

53

Big fan of the Angelicall. just opened an '11 with plenty of life in it. Of course, the style is very different from your typical Rose

SQN is well above the price range but certainly Wow IMO

Just picked up some '08 Lopez Rosado that I’m looking forward to trying. If you can find it at retail it goes for about $35-40, but currently Winebid has it for $400+

54

My loss is your gain then. Good that someone’s happy about it. Enjoy!

Best,

N

55

Trying? At that price, might want to flip it.

56

Big +1

57

And I know it killed you that it was the favorite champagne.gif [snort.gif] neener

Interesting thread. Many folks just drink rose to have something cold by the pool during the spring and summer, and I totally get it. I don’t and want a rose to be ‘interesting’ on its own, and especially at cellar temperature, not too cold. I did get to try the Eclans as well as a few SQNs and found them to be ‘interesting’ but not ‘ahhhh’ to me. I’ve only had one Cotat and found it to be really good - wish I had more time to sit with it but alas it was not mine and it was a ‘drive by’ tasting, so to speak. Domestically, I’ve had the Ode a couple of times - depending upon vintage, it was good to very good indeed.

I’ve had the Lopez de Heredia Rosatos on a few occasions - always very ‘interesting’ as they are so ‘different’, but did not ‘wow’ me. If you want to experience something totally ‘different’, search out the Bonny Doon Rose that he leaves in carboys in the sun for a year a la something he saw in Roussillon - one of the ‘strangest’ wines I had ever seen (yellowish color, smelled like day old curry with rosemary and sage and all kinds of other spices) - certainly a ‘wow’ but not necessarily in a ‘great’ way - just different . . .

I had a customer try my new 2018 Mourvedre Rose - the one offered on Berserkerday - after it had been opened three days, and he compared it favorably to the 2017 Tempier . . . needless to say, I was pretty pleased about that [wow.gif]

Love the thread - and can’t wait to hear more.

Cheers!

58

You realize we are not “most folks”! [berserker.gif] [pillow-fight.gif]

59

I do - but there are many comments on this thread that make me believe that some on this board look at this ‘category’ as one they do not take as ‘seriously’ as other categories . . . that’s all.

But yes, the majority of replies here certainly indicate, as we all know, that Berserkers are anything but ‘most folks’ . . . [snort.gif]

Cheers!

60

Did you sell out of your 18 already?