TN: A big rosé bonanza! (R.L.d.Heredia, Musar, Valentini, Emidio Pepe, Biondi-Santi, Enderle&Moll etc.)

WINE TALK
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One of my friends had gathered a very random bunch of rosé wines so he decided to throw a tasting where the lowest common denominator was that the wine was supposed to be pink. And even that seemed to be somewhat far-fetched at times. Nevertheless, good times with good (and some not that good) wines.

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Pale onion skin color. Dry, slightly wild and somewhat savory nose with aromas of hay, some golden apple, a little bit of marzipan and a hint of banana chips. The wine is light-bodied, fresh and quite neutral - even slightly watery - on the palate with dry flavors of citrus fruits, some hay, a little bit of fresh red apple and a mineral hint of chalk. Nice high acidity. The finish is fresh, lively and acid-driven with a quite long but also rather neutral aftertaste of red apples, some ripe citrus fruits, a little bit of salinity, light bitter notes of chalk and a hint of stony minerality.

A pleasant and fresh little rosé, but seems somewhat dilute, lacking in concentration. I guess the relatively poor 2014 vintage resulted in high acidity but also in lack of fruit flavors and concentration - or then the wine is just too old and has lost its fruit flavors over the years. This is a nice and refreshing effort, but nothing particularly memorable. I wouldn’t mind sipping this on a porch in Tuscany, but this really isn’t a wine I’d buy for my personal use. (86 pts.)

  • 2019 Frederic Cossard Supe★r Pink - France, Vin de France (13.8.2020)
    The lot number says LSP19, so most likely this is vintage 2019. Made from Cinsaut grapes sourced from Rhône and vinified according to a very hands-off philosophy in Bourgogne. 13,5% alcohol.

Slightly hazy pale pink color. Fragrant, somewhat wild and enjoyably sweet-toned nose with aromas of watermelon, some freshly pressed apple juice, a little bit of volatile lift, light almond tones and a hint of brambly raspberry. The wine is lively, fruity and primary with good acidity and flavors of ripe raspberries, some melon, light fruity notes of white peach, a little bit of some animale funk… and then you can taste the mousiness creep in even before the aftertaste. Once you swallow the wine, a tsunami of repulsive mousiness drowns every single fruit flavor from the aftertaste. The finish is long, heavily mousy and very unpleasant.

Ugh. A horrible effort. The wine started out very positively, but then turned out to be a horrible disappointment. Without the heavy mousiness this would’ve been a good 88-89 point rosé, but since the mousiness hit the palate already from the very first sip, there is no point in awarding high points this wine. Avoid. (58 pts.)

Very deep and dark raspberry ruby red with a subtly orange hue towards the rim. Looks more like a light red than a rosé wine. Ripe and sweetish yet still quite fresh and savory nose with aromas of cherry marmalade, some peppery spice, a little bit of ripe strawberry, light lifted notes of nail polish VA and a brambly hint of black raspberry. The wine is ripe, juicy and quite concentrated on the palate with dry flavors of ripe strawberries, some stony mineral tones, a little bit of fresh red apple, light sweet notes of ethery VA, a hint of ripe red plum and a touch of steely minerality. The high acidity lends the wine great sense of structure and keeps the sweeter flavors nicely in check. The finish is quite acid-driven and moderately long with intense flavors of raspberries, some wild strawberry, a little bit of tart cranberry, light crunchy notes of red apples and a hint of stony minerality.

A surprisingly big, ripe and substantial effort for a rosé, yet at the same time coming across as surprisingly fresh and delicate in style. Very tasty and balanced stuff with the slightly wild VA overtones never really start to dominate - they only add nicely sweet-toned lift to the ripe fruit flavors. All in all, this feels like a cross-bred Frankenstein rosé between a naturalist Poulsard from Jura and a warm-vintage Rosé de Riceys - in other words, this is a fun and enjoyably juicy rosé that drinks really nicely on its own and packs enough punch to stand up to even some heavier dishes as well. Very nice! (89 pts.)

Hazy pale rose color. Somewhat wild and slightly sappy nose with aromas of birch leaves, some sharp green apple tones, a little bit of crunchy white currant and a hint of farmhouse funk. The wine is light-bodied and acid-driven with flavors of ripe golden apples, some leesy notes of yeast, a little bit of hay, light saline tones, a hint of apple peel bitterness and a touch of sweet yellow fruits. The mousse feels ample and the acidity high. The finish is dry, quite long and somewhat restrained with flavors of hay, some nut shell, a little bit of apple peel bitterness, light sweet notes of ripe white fruits and, finally, a very subtle hint of unclean mousiness that slowly tries to creep into the aftertaste.

A decent, refreshing and enjoyably straightforward rosé bubbly that unfortunately turns out to be mousy after sitting in the glass for a while. Fortunately the wine isn’t heavily mousy, so it isn’t completely faulty, and the first sips were actually completely clean - the mousiness emerged only after a little while. Nevertheless, this unpleasant note in the aftertaste takes its toll on the score. At best this wine is agreeable, but nothing of real interest; if left opened for a longer period of time, I can imagine this will turn out pretty mousy and unpleasant. (80 pts.)

  • 2006 Massa Vecchia Maremma Toscana Rosato - Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Maremma Toscana (13.8.2020)
    A blend of Merlot (60%) and Malvasia Nera aka. Tempranillo (40%). Total production 2845 bottles. 14% alcohol.

Somewhat translucent, brooding and very slightly hazy reddish-mahogany appearance that shows some signs of age. The nose is incredibly rich, complex and powerful with lush aromas of cherry marmalade, some tertiary notes of raisins, a little bit of strawberry jam, light overripe red plum tones, a hint of peppery and slightly phenolic spice and a lifted touch of sweet VA. The wine feels ripe, sweet-toned and exceptionally concentrated for a rosé on the palate with a very full body and intense flavors of raisins, some sweet and jammy strawberries, a little bit of pruney fruit, light cherry marmalade tones, Musar-y hints of sweet, balsamic VA and a touch of blood. The overall feel is massive, oily and almost chewy, yet the wine retains impeccable balance with its high acidity and the slightest hint of tannic grip. The finish is very big, noticeably ripe and lengthy with concentrated, sweet-toned flavors of strawberries, some cherry marmalade tones, a little bit of developed raisiny fruit, light lifted notes of balsamic VA, a hint of prunes and a touch of bretty funk. The tannins make the wine end on a subtly grippy note.

A huge, massively big and remarkably concentrated powerhouse of a rosé; definitely nothing an unsuspecting wino would expect from a Maremma Rosato. Compared to my previous taste of this particular vintage three years ago, this feels a bit more evolved - and I’m not sure if the wine is actually benefiting from this evolution anymore. Most likely the wine has reached its peak and will slowly glide downhill from here. But be warned: even though the wine might be labeled Rosato, it drinks more like a red wine with its monolithic body and massive concentration. In all honesty, it feels more like a funky lighter-end Grenache or something Chateau Musar would make in an attempt to produce something lighter than their eponymous wine. This wine is to a Toscana Rosato what a naturalist Amarone is to a conventional Valpolicella Rosso. Exceptional quality at approx. 30€. (95 pts.)

  • 2019 Bruno Duchêne La Luna Rosé - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Vin de Pays de la Côte Vermeille (13.8.2020)
    A rosé from the Banyuls wine region. 12% alcohol.

Pale and fully translucent pomegranate color with a thin, colorless rim. Ripe, sweet-toned nose with aromas of strawberries, some red apples, a little bit of spicy garrigue and a nutty hint of slivered almonds. The wine is ripe, juicy and moderately full-bodied on the palate with the slightest hint of CO2 tingle on the palate - which disappears from the wine almost instantly after opening the bottle. The wine is vibrant with flavors of cherries, some wild strawberries, a little bit of pomegranate, light stony mineral tones, a hint of sweet golden apples and a touch of rose petals. The acidity feels moderately high. The finish is ripe and juicy with quite long flavors of strawberries, some melon, a little bit of sweet red cherry and a hint of spicy red apple.

A very nice, fresh and balanced little everyday rosé. Nothing too complex or memorable, but showing enough nuance and depth to be something more than just trivial. The fruit shows quite a bit of ripeness typical of Southern France, but the overall feel is surprisingly fresh and low in alcohol for the region. All in all, very nice and refreshing stuff. (89 pts.)

  • 2019 Gut Oggau Maskerade Rosé - Austria, Burgenland, Neusiedlersee (13.8.2020)
    A field blend of biodynamically farmed Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt. Partially destemmed, partially directly pressed. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, aged in large, old oak barrels. Bottled unfined and unfiltered into 1-liter bottles. 12% alcohol.

Hazy, dark pink color. Heavily reductive nose with lots of skunky hard-boiled egg aromatics along with notes of brambly raspberries, some perfumed floral tones and a leesy hint of yeast. The wine is subtly fizzy on the palate with the finest touch of CO2 prickle. Fresh, medium-bodied overall feel with somewhat subdued flavors of ripe red apples, some crunchy white fruit, a little bit of dull reductive funk and a hint of yeast. Nice high acidity. The finish is ripe and juicy with rather subtle and short flavors of ripe yellow fruits, some tangy salinity, a little bit of tart green apples and a hint of yeast.

The overall feel here is very nice, bright and refreshing, but the wine is so heavily reduced that it offers very little enjoyment at the moment. The nose is almost nothing but hard-boiled eggs and the flavors feel very mute and understated. Even prolonged aeration didn’t help, as the wine came across as very reductive even after 5 hours. I’d say this wine is just way too young at the moment, so most likely it requires another 3-5 years of aging and even then some degree of decanting might be necessary. There’s a good chance this will turn out very nice once the reduction blows off, but it will take time. (84 pts.)

  • 2016 Domaine de L’Octavin Betty Rosay - France, Vin de France (13.8.2020)
    A Gamay rosé from the 2016 vintage (based on the lot number “Lgam16”). I have no idea whether the grapes actually come from Jura or from some other producer, because the label didn’t say anything on the source of the fruit (unlike other l’Octavin bottles that normally state where the grapes come from). 12,1% alcohol.

Pale, cleat onion-skin color. The nose is ridiculously weird, since it smells exactly like hapankorppu (“sour rusk”, i.e. unleavened rusk made from rye sourdough). Maybe there’s a hint of orange, but otherwise the nose is just bready. The wine is fresh, medium-bodied and quite acid-driven on the palate with flavors of something mushroomy, some bready hapankorppu, a little bit of orange, light stemmy notes and a hint of herbal greenness. Good acid structure. The finish is medium-long, fresh and acid-driven with flavors of hapankorppu, some herbal spice, a little bit of fresh orange and ahint of stony minerality.

A pleasantly refreshing but otherwise just weird and bready rosé. And no, this was not mousy, so it didn’t have that unpleasant note of cheerios, sesame seeds or basmati rice. The flavor was probably due to some spoilage yeast or just other weird viticultural or winemaking practices. The wine wasn’t bad per se, but nothing I’d happily sip. Just too odd for my taste - I prefer my rosés a bit more conventional. (80 pts.)

  • 2017 Domaine de L’Octavin Vin de France Grenabar - France, Vin de France (13.8.2020)
    A rosé made with Grenache and Carignan grapes sourced from Rémi Poujol, farming in Languedoc. The lot number says Lgren/cari17, so most likely this is vintage 2017. 12,5% alcohol.

Slightly hazy, pale raspberry red color with a thin limpid rim. Big, sweet-toned nose with aromas of raspberry soda, some lifted notes of ethery VA, light primary fruit notes of watermelon and ripe pear and a hint of herbal spice. The wine is lively, medium-bodied and slightly wild with fruity flavors of red apples, some strawberry, a little bit of cherry marmalade, light lifted notes of nail polish VA, a hint of ripe citrus fruits and a touch of melon. High acidity. The finish is fresh, lively and acid-driven with flavors of red apples, some wild strawberries, a little bit of tart citrus fruits, a hint of melon and a touch of funk that slowly starts turn into unclean mousiness as the wine opens up in the glass.

A simple and otherwise quite pretty rosé that is slightly marred by the mousiness. The first sips were somewhat wild, yet thoroughly pleasant and entirely clean (in the sense there wasn’t any detectable mousiness yet), but towards the end of the glass the first signs of mousiness started to creep in, signaling that this wine needs to be consumed quickly after popping the bottle open. While enjoyable, the overall feel wasn’t particularly memorable and based on this experience I really have no interests on re-visiting the wine. (85 pts.)

Youthful, translucent and beautifully luminous ruby red color. Youthful, fragrant and expressive nose with very primary aromas of sweet red cherries, ripe dark berries, some strawberries, a little bit of juicy red plums, light spicy notes, a hint of jammy raspberries and a touch of overripe peach. Tons of fruit here - maybe even too much? The wine is ripe, sweet-toned and very intense on the palate with a full body and intense primary flavors of sweet strawberries, some ripe red cherries, light notes of cantaloupe, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, a hint of applesauce and a touch of boysenberry jam. Despite the big body and obvious ripeness, the overall feel is pretty balanced and structured, thanks to the moderately high acidity and the slightest touch of tannic firmness on the gums. The finish is long, ripe and juicy with intense, slightly sweet-toned flavors of black cherries, some soft strawberries, a little bit of brambly raspberry, light bitter notes of sour cherries, a hint of ripe apricot and a touch of peppery spice.

A super-primary, youthful and extremely fruit-driven Cerasuolo that comes across as more of a big and fruity crowdpleaser than a refreshing rosé. The overall style is already very ripe and sweet-toned, and the still remarkably primary - jammy and almost candied - fruit profile does nothing to alleviate the lushness. There’s a lot to like here - starting from the balanced structure, vibrant fruit and remarkable intensity - but the overall feel is still a bit too over-the-top, making the wine come across as a bit ponderous in the end. Just as I wrote a year ago, when I had this wine the last time, I’d go after the cooler vintages - this is good stuff, but not among the great Emidio Pepe wines. (89 pts.)

Pale, limpid orange / bronze color. Quite weird, rather atypical and surprisingly toasty nose with somewhat restrained yet very complex, savory aromas of caramel, coffee, popcorn, some smoky tones, a little bit of browned butter on a toasted bread, light tertiary notes of bruised apple, a hint of brambly raspberry and a touch of salted nuts. Very distinctive, but also very atypical for a Valentini Cerasuolo. The wine is dry, medium-to-moderately full-bodied and rather concentrated on the palate with intense and moderately evolved flavors of ripe citrus fruits, fresh red apples, some toasty notes of roasted nuts and toasted bread, a little bit of molten butter, light caramel tones, a sweet hint of ripe strawberry and a touch of exotic spices. Remarkably high acidity, typical of Valentini. The finish is firm, precise and noticeably acid-driven with concentrated flavors of strawberries, some browned butter, a little bit of toast, light caramel tones, a hint of coffee and a touch of tertiary nuttiness. The high alcohol lends some heat to the aftertaste.

A weird, but still rather impressive Valentini Cerasuolo from the somewhat weird 2008 vintage - this was my second time with this wine and it came across as very weird and atypical again. With its smoky, toasty and almost coffee-like qualities it is very unlike any of the surrounding vintages of Cerasuolo, making me wonder if this vintage was somewhat difficult, or if there is something else going on here. Nevertheless, despite its atypical, toasty nature it’s a pretty impressive and complex effort for a rosé wine. It might be quite odd and underwhelming for a Valentini Cerasuolo (especially in a vertical tasting), but it is a fine and enjoyable wine in its own right. This time this vintage felt somewhat more evolved and tertiary than the previous time I had it in early 2017, but I’d say that ultimately I found the wine very slightly better this time compared to the previous experience. (91 pts.)

Pale, translucent cherry red color with an evolved bronze hue. Developed nose with aromas of wizened red plums, some meat stew, a little bit of something sausage-y, light strawberry notes and a tertiary hint of raisins. The wine is ripe, developed and textural on the palate with a moderately full body and layered flavors of wizened red cherries, some raisins, a little bit of pruney dark fruit, light citrus fruit notes, a hint of wild strawberries and a spicy touch of dried herbs. The overall feel is still quite structured with the high acidity and the slightest grippy touch of subtly bitter tannins. The finish is fresh, lively and subtly grippy with long, ripe flavors of juicy citrus fruits some raisins, a little bit of cherry marmalade, light tertiary notes of meat consommé and a hint of sweet wild strawberries.

An outstanding example of aged rosé. People commonly think a rosé should be drunk withing the first 2 years of its release, preferably during the first year. Mirroring from this logic, a rosé clocking at 20 years of age should have become completely undrinkable by now. Well, this Abruzzese Cerasuolo turned out to be not only alive, but also remarkably complex and delicious, coming across as quite developed and somewhat tertiary, but still full of depth and fruit. Had this been served blind, I would’ve never thought it was youthful, but neither would’ve I thought it was already 20 years old. A terrific, harmonious and beautifully evolved Cerasuolo that really is a testament to the aging capabilities of well-made Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo. (92 pts.)

  • 2016 Chateau Musar Rosé - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (13.8.2020)
    A blend of white Obaideh aka. Chardonnay (57%) and Merwah aka. Sémillon (40%) with a 3% addition of red Cinsaut to add color. All varieties are blended, co-fermented and aged for 6-9 months in French oak barrels. 12% alcohol.

Pale golden yellow color with a subtle onion-skin hue. Distinctively perfumed, sweet-toned and even somewhat musky nose with aromas of ripe white peach, Tutti Frutti bubblegum, marzipan, some woolly notes of lanolin, a little bit of peachy stone fruit, light floral tones of jasmine, a hint of dusty old wood and a touch of vanilla. The wine is ripe, juicy and medium-bodied on the palate with flavors of ripe white peach, some floral notes of jasmine, light woolly tones, a little bit of Tutti Frutti candies, sweet hints of golden apples and cantaloupe and a touch of chalk dust. The high acidity keeps the wine impressively in balance. The finish is fresh, juicy and lengthy with flavors of tropical fruits, some exotic spice, light woolly notes of lanolin, a little bit of ripe golden apples and juicy peaches, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of tangy salinity.

A sophisticated yet somewhat odd and funny rosé that manages to contrast such extremes like woolly lanolin funk and almost candied Tutti Frutti character together - and still not make the wine feel awkward and weird. The overall feel here is very approachable and eminently very drinkable, but also quite heady and pretty singular to say the least. Although the wine shows some sense of sophistication, it really comes across as nowhere nearly similar to the unique reds and whites of Chateau Musar and, to be honest, I’d prefer the wine to be a bit more toned down in style. While enjoyable for what it is, I’d leave the wine in a cellar and return to it once only after its 10th birthday. At least the wine feels like it can age really well. (91 pts.)

  • 2014 Chateau Musar Rosé - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (13.8.2020)
    A blend of white Obaideh aka. Chardonnay (2/3) and Merwah aka. Sémillon (approx 1/3) with a very small addition of red Cinsaut to add color. All varieties are blended, co-fermented and aged for 6-9 months in French oak barrels. 12% alcohol.

Pale seared salmon color. Juicy, complex and subtly tertiary nose with layered aromas of wizened golden apples, some honeydew melon, light exotic fruit tones, a little bit of evolved nuttiness, savory hints of stone dust, wax and woolly lanolin and a sweet touch of cotton candy. The wine is dry, fresh and surprisingly weightless on the palate with a medium body and bright flavors of ripe white fruits, some golden apples, light woolly tones, a little bit of stony minerality, a hint of tangy salinity and a sweetish touch of wizened stone fruits. The overall feel is starting to show some age, yet the wine really doesn’t feel particularly developed. Quite high and very balanced acidity. The finish is ripe, juicy and persistent with quite intense flavors of zesty citrus fruits, some nectarine, a little bit of jasmine tea, light woolly notes of lanolin, a hint of honeydew melon and a sweet touch of applesauce.

A beautiful, harmonious and quite complete rosé that is starting to show some signs of age, yet still doesn’t feel particularly developed as a whole. This wine was lightyears better than the previous bottle I had, which was most likely lightstruck, based on its disagreeable and unpleasantly funky cabbage aromas and thin fruit. While this wine was quite light on its feet, it never once came across as thin, but instead fresh and delicate, yet sporting quite wonderful intensity and sense of ripeness for its size. Overall I’d say this wine could still benefit a lot from further aging, so I would leave it in a cellar for another 5-10 years to gain some additional complexity. Fine stuff. (93 pts.)

  • 2011 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Rosato Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (13.8.2020)
    A rosé made with 100% Sangiovese fruit sourced from the estate’s younger vines in the Brunello di Montalcino appellation. Fermented and aged for 18 months in stainless steel. Total production 13,5% alcohol. 13,5% alcohol.

Medium-deep and quite concentrated reddish-orange color with an evolved bronze hue. The nose is ripe and juicy with somewhat sweet-toned aromas of strawberries, some rose hips, a little bit of exotic spice, light cantaloupe tones and a hint of ripe red gooseberry. The wine is ripe, lively and relatively light-bodied on the palate with surprisingly intense flavors of sour cherries, wild strawberries, some sweet redcurrants, a little bit of stony minerality, light developed notes of syrupy richness, a hint of wizened raspberries and a spicy touch of dried savory herbs. The overall feel is quite firm, thanks to the high acidity. The finish is lively and juicy with long, succulent flavors of ripe raspberries, some red cherries, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light syrupy notes lending a slightly evolved feel to the wine and a hint of stony minerality.

A sophisticated, juicy and quite rich Rosato that feels more harmonious and precise than big and ripe - even though the fruit is sourced from Montalcino, the home of powerful Sangiovese reds. Starting to show the first signs of age, but not yet coming across as particularly aged yet. Very nuanced, balanced and thoroughly enjoyable; drinking remarkably well right now, but will continue to improve for years more. Rarely you get to taste a Tuscan rosé that is built to age as well as this. (93 pts.)

  • 2009 R. López de Heredia Rioja Rosado Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (13.8.2020)
    A blend of Garnacha (60%), Tempranillo (30%) and Viura (10%). Aged for 4 years in oak barriques and for further 6 years in bottles before release. 13% alcohol, 6,5 g/l acidity. Total production 14,000 bottles. Decanted for a few hours before tasting the wine.

Pale seared salmon with a somewhat evolved orange hue. Somewhat restrained, very complex and slightly toasty nose with nuanced aromas of sweet golden apples, some creamy notes of crema catalana, light caramel tones, a little bit of toffee, a hint of vanilla and a touch of wild strawberry-driven red fruit character. The wine is ripe, moderately full-bodied and very complex on the palate with dry flavors of bruised apples, some rose hips, a little bit of juicy raspberry and sweeter, wizened red fruit, light buttery tones, subtly oaky hints of butterscotch and vanilla and a touch of stony minerality. While the wine isn’t particularly big, its complexity and sense of ripeness certainly make the wine feel quite substantial. However, the moderately high acidity keeps the balance very well in check, making the overall feel balanced and pretty structured. The finish is very long, complex and rather acid-driven with intense flavors of bruised apple, some creamy notes of panna cotta, light oaky notes of toffee and vanilla, a little bit of tangy salinity, a hint of browned butter and a touch of wild strawberry.

A beautiful, rich and enormously complex Rosado made in a very singular, subtly oxidative style. While the wine might exhibit some subtly oaky tones, the wine isn’t particularly oaky. Instead, it shows a unique combination or ripe, juicy fruit and savory, developed characteristics that result in a wine that is relatively ripe and fruity, yet not so much after all. There are lots of things going on here and even though the wine is drinking mighty well right now, I don’t doubt for a moment it couldn’t continue to improve for another 10 years or more. An outstanding rosé. Extraordinary value at 27,50€. Highly recommended. (95 pts.)

Pale seared salmon with a somewhat evolved orange hue. Moderately expressive, savory and slightly dusty nose with dry and complex aromas of old wood and sun-baked earth, some caramel tones, a little bit of bruised apple, light creamy notes of panna cotta, a hint of coconut and a touch of vanilla. The wine is lively, firm and medium-bodied on the palate with bright flavors of crunchy cranberries, some coconut tones, a little bit of ripe red apple, light sweet notes of wild strawberries and yellow fruits, a hint of vanilla, a touch of tangy salinity and a subtly metallic nuance of brett. The noticeably high acidity makes the wine feel very precise and structured. The finish is dry, long and rather acid-driven with intense flavors of lemony citrus fruits, some bruised apple, light creamy notes of crema catalana, a little bit of coconut, a hint of tangy salinity and an oxidative touch of caramel.

A wonderfully fresh, precise and savory Rioja Rosado with a remarkable structure and exceptional complexity. Tasting this side-by-side with the 2008 vintage, the differences became quite obvious: the 2009 was more ripe and fruity, yet still sporting wonderfully savory complexity and good sense of structure; the 2008 was drier, lighter and more acid-driven with beautifully complex flavors and nice saline edge. Normally I would’ve rated 2008 over 2009, as I prefer acidity over fruit, but this time the 2008 wasn’t performing as wonderfully as it can be: the nose was somewhat restrained and dusty, while the taste had a subtly metallic edge. Neither of these things made the wine disagreeable in any way, but knowing how great this wine can be, it certainly takes a small toll on the rating. I guess there must be some bottle variation going on with this vintage. Nevertheless, this is still some of the most extraordinary rosés I know. Ridiculous value at 27,26€. (94 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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Great notes. At my last gig, the importer showed up with the case of Gut Oggau rosé we had ordered. After opening a bottle, it left with them. Just undrinkably stinky, as you describe, and I didn’t think it was reduced, just out-and-out flawed.

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Finally tried an LDH Rosada ('09) earlier this month and agree with your assessment. I was smitten. A Singular wine.
Unfortunately, not many retailers in the US sell it at the release prices you quote, more like 3-4x that amount, which makes it much more of a rare treat for me. I’d buy cases of it if someone would sell it to me for $35.

Very diverse and interesting lineup. Nice notes, as always.

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Thanks for posting, Otto. When I saw the thread title, I was really hoping I’d see a note for the 2016 Musar rose. [cheers.gif] I had it recently (TN transcription forthcoming …), and thought it extremely odd, and I think your TN did a perfect job of capturing its character; I was a bit nonplussed by it, by my wife quite enjoyed; have one more bottle, and I suppose I should just hide it for a while to see if I like the manner in which it develops. When I had it many years ago, the '06 blew my socks off; this '16, not so much.

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Thanks Otto, great set of notes on a wide variety of rosé.

Tom

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Otto, great notes as always. Though, I have to ask how you have time for your day job considering how much time you spend crafting all your detailed notes! :slight_smile:

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I’ve had a few Oggau wines with varying results. Some have been very wild but enjoyable, some have been a bit too natty for pleasure and this was just so reduced it was hard to tell how the wine was underneath all the reduction. However, having had my fair share of reductive wines vs. otherwise faulty wines, this was just an obvious case of heavy reduction - but not to the extent of being permanently flawed with mercaptans. Was this rosé you talked about this same bottle and vintage?

The weirdest thing is that these 2008 and 2009 have been on the market here in Finland and on these prices that are below the average market prices. As we have alcohol monopoly here, most of the prices are way above market average - at least when compared to the prices everywhere else in Europe. Probably the average price for wines around $20-40 are somewhat equal to those you have in the US. I’m very happy we got these Heredia Rosados at these exceptional prices - talk about bang for the buck.

Compared to my experience with Musar white & red, my experience with the rosé version is quite limited. However, based on my experience & what we talked about in the tasting is that even though Musar Rosé is released much earlier than the white and red versions, it really does need some age. They can be surprisingly fruity - and not always in a good way - in their youth and they tend to develop some complexity only after aging. I am going to give this wine the benefit of the doubt and keep on hoping it will turn great if given enough age.

Btw, I’m always amused by the American usage of “nonplussed”, since the word comes from non plus - not more. I always read it first that one just couldn’t be more impressed by it, and only then I remember that in cases like these I have think the exact opposite. [wow.gif]

Thanks! Writing three notes in the morning and three in the evening doesn’t take that much time - at least with the experience of 10,000 notes. [snort.gif]

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What was so “weird” about 2008 (for Valenttini)?

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This was the second time I had Valentini Cerasuolo 2008 and the previous bottle I had was in a Valentini Cerasuolo vertical some years ago. Back then the difference in 2008 compared to the other vintages was quite obvious, as all the other wines in the vertical were cut pretty much from the same cloth, but the 2008 stood out as quite distinctive and rather atypical. Typically the Valentini Cerasuolos seem to develop a distinctively smoky - slightly gunpowdery - nose while retaining their fruit, whereas that wine had a weird hot dog aroma and the wine we had here was quite toasty with aromas of coffee grounds and nuts. Not just me, but many other people in this tasting agreed that this didn’t feel like the Valentini Cerasuolo they’ve come to expect.

Furthermore, the Cerasuolo we had in the vertical came across as more evolved than any other Cerasuolo in the tasting and we went down to vintage 2003. All the other wines were still remarkably youthful and young beyond their years. Fortunately in both instances the nose has been the part that’s more off - on the palate the wine hasn’t been as weird.

Back then in our vertical I thought the 2008 was just an off bottle, but as this another bottle of 2008 came across again as rather different from all the other vintages of Cerasuolo I’ve had, I’m beginning to think that this just isn’t among the great vintages of Valentini Cerasuolo.

10

The very same. As I recall, it was more bretty than reduced but having a rosé smell like that was appalling. My opinion of Gut Oggau’s wines are that they are generally mediocre/prone to faults and their success is more good marketing than great wine.

11

The LdH rosado was released at an even lower price in Sweden, the 2010 was recently (well in February) sold for something like 30USD (SEK 249). However highly restricted to two bottles per person and first come first served webb release where only a total of 10 cases or so came to Sweden (don’t remember the correct number but very few). So while very well priced, not exactly possible to buy cases of it. I have noted prices of 55 EUR and up in Spanish online retailers. Anyway, the 2010 is fantastic.

12

At $30 it is one of the world’s great wine deals, but in line with LdHs value for the money imo. Consistently great and legendary house that cranks out great wine at various price points. We have a little bit of the Rosado that hits the ATL market and decent shops will give good customers a shot at the ~$35 price, I’m just not usually quick enough to grab those deals. Will be trying harder in the future.