The Cellar: Time for Rosé #2

Friday, July 24, 2015

Steffen Rasch, GoLocalWorcester Wine Writer

Whether you are sitting by the pool or sweating over the BBQ, this week’s hot and muggy weather calls for sipping on a cool and delicious Rosé. If you are looking for inspiration try asking your wine merchant about these two wines:

Rioja Rosé?

Yes! Not all Rioja’s are red. In fact, 15% of Rioja’s output is Rosés and White wines. Like this Spanish region’s Red wines, the Rosés are also based on the grape varieties Tempranillo and Grenache. And like the Reds the Rosés are often great values. This week’s featured ‘Rosado’ for example retails for around $12! The wine is made by El Coto de Rioja who sources the grapes for this wine from their own Estate vineyards, as well as other vineyards throughout the northernmost Alavesa sub-region of Rioja.

This 50/50 blend undergoes a quick 48 hour maceration on the skins to extract the flavor and color followed by a cold fermentation and quick bottling. The result is a crisp and delicious wine. This is my kind of Rosé; savory, rather than sweet. There is a distinct herbal element alongside the freshly squeezed red cherries and raspberries – even a hint of garden picked cherry tomato. Fresh citrus fruit on the backend keep things alive as the herbal finish lingers on. Really good stuff for the money.

This week’s second recommended Rosé is made from grapes grown entirely at Domaine du Tariquet, which is located in the France’s southwestern most Gascony region. While Gascony is arguably most famous for producing the world famous brandy Armagnac there are producers who also produce still wines. Domaine du Tariquet is one of them.

Normally, when people think about the category ‘French Rosé’ it is the light and mineral-driven examples from Provence that comes to mind. In the Mediterranean the grape varieties Carignan, Cinsaut, Grenache and Mourvèdre are usually utilized. Stylistically, this week’s feature wine is very different from your typical Provençal Rosé.

The biggest difference is a result of the grapes this wine is comprised of. You can almost taste that this wine is made from ‘bigger’ grapes. As is tradition in France this Rosé is a blend; in this case however the blend is 40% Merlot, 40% Syrah and 20% Tannat. Basically all of these grapes have thicker skins that the ‘traditional’ Rosé grapes. The skins is where the wine gets its full flavor, as we’ll as its intense aromatics and rich texture. Because of its weight this is a pretty versatile Rosé which can be consumed by itself as well as paired with lighter dishes. The flavors include those of ripe strawberries, red cherries and sweet and sour rhubarb with a hint of spice on the finish. Good stuff and very reasonably priced!

Cheers,

Steffen Rasch is a Certified Sommelier and Specialist of Wine. Feel free to email him at [email protected] with any wine-related questions or learn about wine in person by signing up for one of his tastings through the Providence Wine Academy.

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