WTN: Twenty Roses

[Jenise]

If you opened my Nineteen Roses thread yesterday, you found nothing because a software glitch murdered my post. I'm rewriting it this morning, and have added a wine.

Nineteen rose wines from around the world were served at our neighborhood tasting on Friday night. Since the wines were all $15 and under in price and largely unfamiliar to the group this was not a blind tasting, but rather the wines were grouped on three tables around the room that guests could get to as they pleased. I took no notes at the time so have but brief impressions to offer in the order I tasted the wines. Guests were polled for their two favorites at the end of the night.

2009 Chateau Grand Cassagne, 60/40 Grenache/Syrah, Costieres de Nimes, $11: classic Provencal style rose, medium bodied, dry and balanced. Very good. Five votes.

2009 Mas Carlot, 60/40 Grenache/Syrah, Rhone $11: sweeter entry than the Cassagne, medium bodied, redder, seemed less complex. Good, but no votes.

2009 Domaine Massamierla Mignarde, 80/20 Cinsault/Syrah, Rhone, $11: good structure and balance. Five votes.

2009 Leferrer 'La Claret du Grand Cres', 85/15 Cinsault/Grenache, Languedoc, $11: I hope I have the grapes right--internet sources weren't in agreement about it and most paid more attention to the fact that this property is owned by a guy who managed DRC in Burgundy for 30 years. Anyway, this one was different in all the right ways the second it went into my mouth: gentle little waves of unusually complex fruit and spice nuances finished with a luxuriously peppered pop. Outstanding. Eight votes and my WOTN.

2009 Goats du Roam, syrah/pinotage, South Africa, $11: boldly flavored in a new world kind of way, more direct than subtle, and it got a lot of love from those who favor fruit-forward style. Well done for what it is. Eight votes.

2009 Chateau de Campuget, 30/70 Grenache/Syrah, Costieres du Nimes, $11: well balanced with some interesting herbal flavors like parsley and tarragon. Very good, but no votes.

2008 Val Joanis, 100% Syrah, Provence, $10: luminescent pale orangey-gold color underprepares you for the power and concentration this delivers on the palate. Very classy. We had a glass of this last night as a lead-in to the Tardieu-Laurent Cornas and the bacon and sage-y syrah character was most evident. Outstanding, my #3. One vote.

2009 Chateau Lestrille, 100% Merlot, Bordeaux, $15: Based on the only merlot rose I've ever had (Beringer's), I expected this to be on the goofy side but no, it was anything but. Elegant and classy. Five votes.

2009 Chateau Ferrand, 50/50 Cabernet and Merlot, Bordeaux, $7: Okay, here's the goofy one. Simple and a little candied on the palate and in color. But it got two votes .

2009 Mulderbosch, 100% cabernet sauvignon, South Africa, $11.49: Wow. I've had this in past years when it's been more off-dry than dry, but not this time. The '09 is bone dry and punches big on the palate with true cab character and structure. Oustanding. Fifteen votes and my #2.

2009 Domaine Cantarelles 'Rose de Fayel', 70/25/5 cab franc/syrah/grenache, Costieres du Nimes, $11: medium body, not unexpectedly more cranberry than strawberry with a delicately bitter herbaceous streak that I liked better than the crowd. No votes, but good.

2009 Pigmentum, 100% malbec, Cahors, $10: big bodied and complex with a mid-palate core of fruit that suggests an offdryness that never materializes on the finish. Would love to age some of this for next year. Excellent, six votes.

2009 Bernard Griffin, 100% sangiovese, Washington state, $10: past versions of this lacked acid and were on the sweet side, but they've cleaned up their act with the '09. Very appealing, seven votes.

2009 Marques de Caceras, 100% tempranillo, Rioja, $9: sandalwood, cherries and spice. Good for the price but not distinctive, two votes.

2008 Protos, 100% tempranillo, Ribera del Duoro, $9: Redder and firmer than the Marques above as would be expected from the RdD, very good. Two votes.

2009 Casal Garcia Vinho Verde Rojo, Portugal, $7: cherries, orange juice and spice with that winning dash of fizz, one of the most talked-about wines of the tasting and most deservedly so. Excellent, seven votes.

2009 Domaine Salvard, 100% pinot noir, Cheverny (Loire Valley), $15: pale pearl pink, delicately stunning. A Kermit Lynch import. Excellent plus. Nine votes.

2009 Vega Sindoa Rosado, 100% grenache, Spain, $8: redder and sweeter than most, and along with the Ferrand one of the least popular wines judging by the most reliable barometer there is: what got finished. It still got a vote, though.

2007 Chateau Ste. Michelle Nellie's Garden Dry Rose, $6: Darker and more substantial than any of the other wines, it has aged surprisingly well and will probably hold here for another year or two. Five votes.

And one I didn't put in the tasting:

2009 St. Roch, 50/50 Cinsault/Grenache, Provence, $14: this wine has one of the most beautiful labels I've ever seen. Wish the wine inside was as interesting: it was dilute and dull last night, so we put the bottle back in the fridge and will re-taste today or tomorrow.

Nice notes, sorry you had to write up twice.
the Leferrer and Val Joanis sound worth looking for/

[Jenise]

Nice notes, sorry you had to write up twice.
the Leferrer and Val Joanis sound worth looking for/

They are, I've already put in orders.

Oh, and I'm retasting the St. Roch right now. Verdict: pass. No new complexity and quite hot on the finish, in fact.

glad to read about the Pigmentum. i didn't much care for the red. i assume that the appellation was actually VdP Lot. I've tasted 2 different 100% malbec roses and loved them both. one one a unique one from bordeaux and the other from the cahors property ch. famaey. glad to see one Loire in there. i am very fond of them in general and the Salvard in particular. have one open in the frig right now. in a sense its unfortunate that the south gets all the attention when it comes to rose. IMO the loire makes the most consistently attractive ones.

[Jenise]

That Salvard is just lovely. The two bottles I served Friday night were the only two my source had--am desperately hoping there are more in-state and that I get some. Oh wait-- --one of my buddies just took a job with the distributor who handles the Kermit Lynch book, so I can arrange this right at the source. COOOOL.

If you opened my Nineteen Roses thread yesterday, you found nothing because a software glitch murdered my post. I'm rewriting it this morning, and have added a wine.

Nineteen rose wines from around the world were served at our neighborhood tasting on Friday night. Since the wines were all $15 and under in price and largely unfamiliar to the group this was not a blind tasting, but rather the wines were grouped on three tables around the room that guests could get to as they pleased. I took no notes at the time so have but brief impressions to offer in the order I tasted the wines. Guests were polled for their two favorites at the end of the night.

Truncated to reduce redundant copy


I have had several of the rosé wines you had in your tasting, and liked most of them very well. I have often praised here on WLDG wines selected and imported by Dan Kravitz owner of Hand Picked Selections. He imports a half dozen or more Rose's from different areas of France including Provence. Some I have liked from the 2009 vintage include Ch. Lancyre (Pic St Loup) Château du Donjon ((Minervois) Commanderie de la Bargemone (Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence ). I don't of course know if these wines are available in your locale, but do know they are available in the state of Washington. to find them, supposing you might want to, you should send an email to don.h@hpswine.com or call Don Heistuman 503.806.4472.

Other than being a very satisfied customer I am not connected in anyway with Hand Picked Selections.

[Jenise]

Bob, I've had the Donjon and in fact already used it in a tasting, so I didn't rebuy for this one. The Commanderie I've had in prior years and enjoyed quite a bit.

We just love roses. For some reason I decided to count last night, and realized I've tasted about 30 this year so far. Three of the others also deserve the Outstanding score I gave to four of the wines in this report, the 09 Tempier (duh!), the 09 Mas Champart and believe it or not, a rose from Washington state, the 09 Doyenne (DeLille Winery's label for their southern rhone style wines, this one mostly mourvedre). Good as the Donjon was, it doesn't make that A list. Definitely a B, though.

[James Roscoe]

Most of these rosés performed exactly as they were meant to which is to say they provided solid enjoyment and value. What more can you ask of a wine? Some rosés hit above their weight, some need to be discarded, rosé champagne is an entirely different category. I wish I could have been there!

Jenise, I found the info on Hendry you were looking for....>

http://www.hendrywines.com/current/rose08.htm

Most of these rosés performed exactly as they were meant to which is to say they provided solid enjoyment and value. What more can you ask of a wine? Some rosés hit above their weight, some need to be discarded, rosé champagne is an entirely different category. I wish I could have been there!

James, I don't think any rosé hits above it's weight more than Steve Edmunds Bone-Jolly rosé does. Solid Gamay from the first sip to the bottom of the bottle. I recently opened a lost 2007 (I found 4 of them in the basement) and found them to be as fresh as the day they were first offered. I even said something like that to Steve and he still has some '07 that he will discount. I have him holding a case for me until cooler weather arrives. IMO, this is a rosé that can stand up to cooler late fall weather.

Bob, I've had the Donjon and in fact already used it in a tasting, so I didn't rebuy for this one. The Commanderie I've had in prior years and enjoyed quite a bit.

We just love roses. For some reason I decided to count last night, and realized I've tasted about 30 this year so far. Three of the others also deserve the Outstanding score I gave to four of the wines in this report, the 09 Tempier (duh!), the 09 Mas Champart and believe it or not, a rose from Washington state, the 09 Doyenne (DeLille Winery's label for their southern rhone style wines, this one mostly mourvedre). Good as the Donjon was, it doesn't make the A list. Definitely a B, though.

Jenise, as much as we love them, we can't taste them all every time. Another 100% rosé (this one from Oregon) that I found to be a hit (despite it's above $20 price) is the J K Carriere which IIRC I have spoken of here before too. Anyone wishing to check it out click the link. http://www.jkcarriere.com/2009_glass.aspx

[Jenise]

Nice notes, sorry you had to write up twice.
the Leferrer and Val Joanis sound worth looking for/

The Leferrer is imported by Triage Wines in Seattle, Dale. Not sure if their stuff makes it out your way or not.

[Jenise]

Most of these rosés performed exactly as they were meant to which is to say they provided solid enjoyment and value. What more can you ask of a wine? Some rosés hit above their weight, some need to be discarded, rosé champagne is an entirely different category. I wish I could have been there!

That's right, you're into pink. You'd have enjoyed yourself for sure!

[James Roscoe]

Most of these rosés performed exactly as they were meant to which is to say they provided solid enjoyment and value. What more can you ask of a wine? Some rosés hit above their weight, some need to be discarded, rosé champagne is an entirely different category. I wish I could have been there!

That's right, you're into pink. You'd have enjoyed yourself for sure!

If I make it out to Seattle you will definitely have to put up with me for an evening! I warn you that this is a real possibility as Jeannette has a sister out there with family!

Bob, if I come to MoCool you will need to bring the ESJ rOsé with you. I have never had the pleasure, but I don't put that much thought into rOsé.

Thanks, Jenise.

Was out buying some wine today, and I hesitated between the St. Roch ($13) and another rose Commanderie de la Bargemone Coteaux de Aix en Provence ($17).

Remembered what you said about the St. Roch, so I passed and got the Bargemone, which was great.

Thanks, Jenise.

Was out buying some wine today, and I hesitated between the St. Roch ($13) and another rose Commanderie de la Bargemone Coteaux de Aix en Provence ($17).

Remembered what you said about the St. Roch, so I passed and got the Bargemone, which was great.

$17 is a bit high for the Bargemone Hoke, but IMO it is a great rosé. If you see the Chateau Lancyre do not pass on it.

[Jenise]

Thanks, Jenise.

Was out buying some wine today, and I hesitated between the St. Roch ($13) and another rose Commanderie de la Bargemone Coteaux de Aix en Provence ($17).

Remembered what you said about the St. Roch, so I passed and got the Bargemone, which was great.

Glad to have been helpful! But isn't it a great label? (So is the Commanderie's, it screams "Tradition!")

[Jenise]

If I make it out to Seattle you will definitely have to put up with me for an evening! I warn you that this is a real possibility as Jeannette has a sister out there with family!

Then you should do it! Life here is pretty good, we'd be pleased to have you.

My favorite rose' of the summer has been a Pinot Noir also--Pascal and Nicolas Reverdy Sancerre Rose'. Second is probably the Muga Rose' but when I couldn't find more of it to purchase I went with the Marques de Caceres which as you say is good for the price.

Thanks for a useful list for the summer. I recalled a shop that I regularly visit sells the Mulderbosch and I'm sipping a glass right now. Good stuff for $10; a bit more substance than some and real CS character.

JC - haven't seen the P&N Reverdy in our market yet. hope i do. in the meantime am drinking JM Reverdy and the Hubert Brocard that i got in france. just had the Muga last week. wow, that is just classic stuff - loved it.

I was surprised by the relatively low scores given the Muga rose' and the Marques de Caceres rose' in one wine journal. I thought the former was very enjoyable and the second one a decent QPR wine. They both got higher ratings on CellarTracker than in the magazine.

[Jenise]

JC - haven't seen the P&N Reverdy in our market yet. hope i do. in the meantime am drinking JM Reverdy and the Hubert Brocard that i got in france. just had the Muga last week. wow, that is just classic stuff - loved it.

I grabbed the last bottle of the Muga rose I found at a local shop yesterday, then got home and realized it was the 08. Was yours the 09 or does Muga release a year late?

[Jenise]

Thanks for a useful list for the summer. I recalled a shop that I regularly visit sells the Mulderbosch and I'm sipping a glass right now. Good stuff for $10; a bit more substance than some and real CS character.

Joe, thanks for the validation. You know what, for all the confidence I appear to have, there's a little Jenise inside me who fears, every time I post a note, that someone is going to come along and say, like my friend Bob Henry loves to, "JENISE, YOU ARE SO WRONG ABOUT THIS WINE."