The best rosé wines to extend that summer feeling all year long, from someone who used to hate them.
Originally published on dresstokillmagazine.com
There are a few things that you can learn about me after one glance at my Instagram profile. I like records and folk music, I own way too many bathing suits, I have a pretty dry sense of humor, and as much as I have an intense passion for whisky (peated mostly), I absolutely despise rosé wine. Well, used to.
We were halfway through July went I started to receive a few messages from agencies, asking me if I would like to try one of their rosé wines. Call it boredom or a predication to put myself in uncomfortable situations, but I ended up replying. To all of them. If I was about to give another chance to my sworn enemy, why not to go all in?
After a few tasting sessions and many funny comments from my friends, I finally came up with a list of bottles I wouldn’t mind drinking again.
As they say, only fools don’t change their mind, and maybe, I am not so crazy after all.
This Languedoc rosé produced by Laurent Miquel was certainly a pleasant surprise. It impresses with its sweet price and delights the taste buds with its oily texture. This cuvée is elaborated with old vines of syrah, grenache and cinsault in the Saint-Chinian region. You can taste aromas of melon, spices, red fruits and thyme. On the palate, the wine is refreshing, delicate and subtly perfumed. It is the first rosé that convinces me that maybe there was much to the trend than bottles of sweet and sparkly wine.
This one if probably my favorite of the bunch! It delivers aromatic notes of red fruits as well as some floral notes. In the mouth, I really enjoy its velvety texture. Its sugar level makes it a very dry wine with only 1.3 g/l of residual sugar. You can taste hint of red berries with like a slight salinity hint. Its well-constituted structure and finesse make it a beautiful rosé for food while being ideal for the aperitif. I shared the bottle with a bunch of friends over a pleasant picnic and they all ended up enjoying it.
This one is definitely different in every way different from most California wines. Winemaker Randall Graham planted typical Rhone Valley grape varieties such as Grenache, while this state is rather famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. His rosé does not follow stereotypes either. It is inspired by the wines of Provence as much by its color as by its aromas. It reveals notes of white peaches, flowers and fruit. It is tense and very dry.
One sip of this rosé automatically makes you travel to the south of France. Its nose is reminiscent of melons and sweet peach. The oenologist at the Vieux Château d’Astros is trying to create aromatic wines, and he is succeeding! The attack is lively and its fruity taste persists for a long time. With melon and a nice cheese platter, it is a trip to Provence at a small price.
Of course, I had to end this challenge on a bubbly note!When it comes to celebrations and special moments, no one understands it better than Moet & Chandon.This one is a superb Champagne with aromas of strawberries. Crisp and refreshing, it is perfectly paired with seafood. There are notes of grapefruit and freshly-squeezed lemon too though with hint of a minty tone to spice things up a little. It smells bright and zesty as well as fruity, and it leaves your palate with both the temptation to go for another sip.
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