The best rose I’ve had is Chateau Simone Palette Rosé. Thanks Martin!
Cheers,
Hal
Francois Cotat
Jean Fournier
Ott
Tempier
All very much ageworthy.
Even though I find Bandols (and also even some Tavels, when they don’t show excessively high alcohol) really good, I’ve yet to taste any that would’ve been actually “great”. TBH, I rarely manage to get any kick out of rosé wines. Even Tempier Rosé has been a good, but not like “whoah this IS good” wine.
However, some that I can say that are honestly really great rosé wines:
Massa Vecchia Maremma Rosato 2006 - almost like red wine, bretty and volatile with some raisiny character. Probably many of here will find this wine very offensive but I don’t. There is some vintage variation and I’ve understood that 2006 is the most extreme example.
Dominio del Aguila Pícaro del Aguila - luminous pink, rather weird, showing some oxidative caramel characteristics and a bit of woody oak.
Valentini Cerasuolo - these fellas show ridiculously good acid structure and although they might be somewhat simple in their youth, they start to strut their stuff at 10 years of age.
Chateau Musar Rosé - a unique wine when good, but I guess the clear glass bottle is a bit of a problem - I’ve had this wine three times and in two of them the wine has been off, probably lightstruck.
Olivier Horiot Rosé des Riceys En Barmont - a wine that is too deep for a rosé yet too pink and light to be a red. Similarly drinks like a wine that really isn’t rosé yet isn’t a red either. Can age wonderfully for more than 10 years. Spectacular.
Christian Binner Si Rosé - well, I’m not sure if this is a rosé or orange, because this is a skin-contact Gewürztraminer wine. Looks like rosé, though, and is very unique by all accounts. Delicious.
Terroir Al Limit Priorat Roc d’Aubaga 2015 - incredibly structured and mineral wine. Almost painful in its youth, I guess this could use some mellowing in a cellar. Ridiculously impressive.
I’ve yet to taste Tondonia GR Rosé, but I have no doubts that it is a great wine.
We tasted a vertical of Musar Rosé in 2016 for my 40th with (95, 01, 04, 06, 08, 11, & 12). All in all the wines were fine, but seemed to lack depth accept for the 2006. However a year later the '95 blew my socks off and was possibly the most complex Rosé I’ve had in my life. I’ve socked one bottle away…but find these wines to be difficult to find.
I do wonder about Otto’s comment about ‘light struck’ affecting the Musar. Has anyone else had this same experience?
The concept of ‘light struck’ and wine is not discussed much anymore - and my feeling is that it is not as big a deal as in the past, as most wines are not left out on shelves or in liquor store windows as much as they used to be.
Cheers.
Yet it does affect wines, albeit mainly those bottled in clear bottles. The two off bottles of Musar Rosé I’ve had were sourced from a shop where the rosé bottles are on shelves with fluorescent tube lights that are illuminating the bottles every day.
I love Musar whites and Heredia Rioja whites very much, but I really wish they’d bottle their wines in darker bottles.
I’m curious what these wines smelled and tasted like? Thanks for the reply. Cheers!
Their fruit characteristics feel very subdued and dry, there’s a rather unpleasant skunky character not unlike cabbage or wet dog, some cheesy notes and a hint of pungent smoke.
I’ve had several lightstruck rosés before so the characteristics are quite easy to pick up. I actually once made an experiment on lightstrike when I was sent two identical bottles of rosé as samples: I put one immediately into fridge and the other I kept on a windowsill. The differences were quite obvious.
What about Emidio Pepe Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Rosé ? A more substantial Rosé, that drinks like a light Red. Just picked some up to try.
Pepe is good too, but at $120+/bottle, it damn well better be. Still, for my tastes, I prefer the equally unafordable Valentini.
Had a bottle of this last year, and you’re correct about weird. The color nearly glowed, but the flavors were all over. Fun!
I have a solo bottle of this wine in 2010 vintage, any perspective on its aging/peak drinking?
Also love the Valentini and the Horiot, while my first bottle of Pepe (mentioned elsewhere) was not that impressive (perhaps it is the grape variety).
Thanks!
No idea. If I’ve understood correctly, all vintages are somewhat different with somewhat different grape blends etc. I’ve only had 2006 and 2013 and they were like night and day. So 2010 can be pretty much anything. Perhaps I’d taste the wine at its 10th bday - just because it’s quite rare to taste rosé wines with age going into two digits.
Thanks, Otto, i was not aware of this.
The Ridge Lytton Estate Rosé I had at the winery on Friday was darned delicious!
Reading this thread inspired us to drink this tonight:
2011 Clos Cibonne Tibouren Côtes de Provence Rosé Cuvée Spéciale des Vignettes
6/3/2018 - 91 Points
Somewhat alarming bright tawny peach. Best at cool red-wine temperature, savory red/orange stone and pommes fruit, slightly musky, even a bit of citrus on the finish. The grape is tibouren, which I have never seen offered elsewhere; while the red version is a light, transparent, and delicious, it is relatively familiar compared to this rose, which seems noticeably wilder and somewhat rustic. All that said, an excellent match for our Moroccan-style chicken thighs. No indication of being too old at this time.
I like the Cibonne Rose wines (there is another one that is a bit cheaper). Note they are made with a head space and a flor grows on top of the wine. It seems to add more of a saline note without seeming especially oxidative.
-Al
With wines in general, but especially with Roses, I’m happy drinking wines that are interesting and/or very good, without worrying too much whether they qualify as “great”.
-Al
Thanks, Al, i know they have other cuvees, but the flor is news to me, I love flor-influenced wines!
+1!
A favorite of mine is Pascal & Nicolas Reverdy Sancerre Rosé Terre de Maimbray - super fresh, like parsley or cucumber or something, along with “serious” stoniness.
Great thread, there are several things here that I’ve been meaning to try and needed a reminder, and better yet things I have never heard of and now want to try (starting with the Dupasquier - I’ve enjoyed several of the whites and reds but didn’t even know there is a rose).