Our group did a blind tasting of rosé wines yesterday. My favorites are the in the individual photographs. I brought the Le Puy, the LdH, and of course the Vilmart.
The quality, structure and drinkability of the vast majority were stunning. Many had great complexity and long finishes. I don’t drink enough rosé.
I’m limited to ten photos, so will follow with more…
There were so many standouts; I loved the Barabelle, By.Ott, Le Puy, Gramercy, LdH, '20 Cayuse, Clos Cibonne, Simone, La Bastide Blanche, Navarro…
The prices ranged from $6.99 to over $100, but we enjoyed them all.
Le Puy was amazing and a contender for the WOTN. If it weren’t for its high alcohol, it would have been the clear favorite. A long decant would have helped. I’ve had this wine three times. Two were stunning, one undrinkable. For heaven’s sake, add a sprinkle of sulfur when you bottle.
LdH was so complex, but its oxidative style amplified with air, so drinking it earlier was more pleasurable.
Barbebelle was a new one for me, but very nice.
By.Ott was pretty classic.
From stateside, the Cayuses, Gramercy and Navarro all shined. I thought the 20 Edith was fresher than the '21.
Clos Cibonne, La Bastide Blanc, and Simone were all contenders for top wines.
That said, on its own, I’d have enjoyed any bottle that was opened.
Cheers,
Warren
A great line-up, Warren! How was the bottle of Simone? I’ve got one bottle of that and not sure if I should age it a bit.
Agree with you on the LdH better drink without too much extra air, but sometimes putting it back in the chiller helps.
Vince
I thought the Clos Cibonne and the Simone both would benefit from 3-5 years, maybe even more. It was really good though, so no harm to open now. It had such beautiful complexity, and an unusual aroma profile, some of which reminded me of vermouth. It was one of the best of the evening.
Warren
Congratulations for having the most inadvertently (or hilariously intentionally) NSFW topic title in WB history!
I’ve got one of the Le Puy roses on deck to try very soon. Had their blanc back in the spring and thought it was tremendous. Too bad they’re imported by Rosenthal, ensuring the wines are 20% more expensive than if brought in by someone else. I recall when Simone went over to Rosenthal maybe 15 years ago and the prices nearly doubled from one vintage to the next.
Terrific cross-section, Warren, thanks for posting the pics and thoughts. That 2010 LdH is a chameleon for sure.
From August 2020:
2010 Vina Tondonia Rosado
Just got a bit of this and desperately wanted to try, having never had one before. I’ll be sure to give any future bottles a long decant. Heather was right in warning us not to think of this as Rose. This is the orange wine of Rose. It is super-kinetic, absolutely dynamic with grippy tannins, lots and lots of herbs and undeniable fascination as it plays with your tongue the whole night. There is also some VA here, but for me definitely in the Musar way of being an important part of the palate experience. This is really something to try and I look forward to watching the wine’s evolution, if I can keep my mitts off my 2 remaining bottles.
From July 2022 (part of my cellar depressurization event so I had capped it and only got to it days later):
Unripe watermelon frames cranberry and raspberry. I also get a light touch of plum and some roses. Well, with 4 days’ air, this does show something. Rather sneakily wondrous–sappy yet snappy all at the same time. Very persistent sour cherry and grapefruit mingle really well. Watermelon seed? A lot going on. Just emphasizes the need to leave these to age.
And from a month or so ago:
Was open (and decanted IIRC) for about 1.5 hours before we got to it. Whether it was that or maybe we’re just at that point now, this was the first of 4 I’ve tried that was finally somewhat accessible. Still very brisk on the tongue and coiled dynamite, to a degree, but the aromatics are much more expressive than they have been, with rhubarb, raspberry, red currant and yes, an edge of watermelon. Rhubarb particularly holds sway on the palate and there are some backing hints of herbs to red berry fruit. Good now, will still be much better in a couple of years.
By coincidence had this last night. Followed Moet 2008 Rose GV. Just wow. Remarkably vibrant and terrific depth. Still has years ahead.
I’ve had the Le Puy Rosé three times now. Two were amongst the best Rosès I’ve ever sampled. One was so badly flawed I couldn’t finish a glass. I don’t know what the flaw was. It had a canned tomato soup quality, not something you’d want in a glass of wine. Ah, the microbiological adventures of natural wines.
What a dream lineup to taste them side by side. I’d love to try this some summer.
I’ve always wondered does the Cayuse carry its house funk over to the Rose?
Not really. The younger of the two was quite clean, but both were much better than my preconceptions. These were all served blind, and I wouldn’t have guessed Cayuse based on the flavor profile.
Interesting, thanks.
Always wanted to try one, but the price and all compared to some
Of the other world class Roses in your tasting make it tough. Sounds like it held its own though.
