The Cellar: Time for Rosé II
Friday, September 02, 2016
The popularity of Rosés is on the rise. This delicious category of wine, which can be made in a slew of different styles and from a variety of different grapes, is becoming a steady fixture on more and more wine lists and retail shelves. If you still think all Rosés are sweet it is time to re-taste and re-evaluate.
I love Rosés because it is such a versatile category. Rosés are made all over the world and range from, crisp and delicate, to sparkling, to medium-bodied and rich, and all the through (yes, you guessed it) delectably sweet. Because of this diversity Rosés can be enjoyed by themselves, as well as with an array of foods. This week’s examples are two quality Rosés I have been sampling lately.
This week's first featured Rosé is the brain child of brothers Renzo and Riccardo Cotarella who founded Falesco winery in Montefiascone, Lazio in 1995 with the aim of recovering the ancient vineyards of the area. One of their brands is made from grapes sourced from Umbria and is called Vitiano. Their 2015 Rosé (Rosato) is a blend of equal parts Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese with a splash of the native variety Aleatico. After a brief period of cool-temperature maceration the juice is fermented and left in stainless steel tanks for a few months to preserve its distinct freshness and bright color, then bottle-aged for an additional two months. The wine does not undergo any malolactic fermentation. The resulting wine is medium-bodied and dry with flavors of ripe plumbs and cranberries. The wine is fresh and easy drinking - great for a warm day.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThis week's second featured wine is a more classic example. As I noted in a previous article, Tavel is considered one of the 'Cru' villages of the Southern Rhone alongside Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Vacqueyras and Gigondas. And like its regional brothers the wines from Tavel are almost always blends based primarily on Grenache. What makes the wines from Tavel stand out however is that they must be Rosés. While the majority of Rosés from its neighbor to the south (the more famous Provence) are meant to be easy-drinking, light (in body and flavor) and refreshing, the wines of Tavel are meant to be at least medium-bodied – and with a prescribed minimum alcohol content of 11% they usually are.
This week's featured Tavel is the 2015 ‘Dame Rousse’ from Domaine de la Mordorée. This delicious Rosé is a blend of Estate and hand harvested Grenache (60%), Cinsault (20%) and Syrah (20%). After destemming and a 48hrs cold maceration the wine is pressed off and fermented. The resulting medium+ bodied wine is very densely flavored, an age-worthy Rosé, filled with crushed strawberries and cherries with a lingering apricots. There are also hints of baking spices. Aerate for an hour and enjoy with a light meal.
Cheers,
Steffen Rasch is a Certified Sommelier and Specialist of Wine. Learn about wine in person by signing up for one of his tastings at the Providence Wine Academy.
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