A Garden of Rosés

The more wines that I taste, the more I realize just how amazing the beverage is. I don't understand all of the chemical processes that take place during fermentation, but somehow those processes transform simple grape juice into a drink with more personalities than Sybil. As I have continued to sample the endless variations, I have learned to stop making those gross generalizations that used to come so quickly to my lips like "I don't like Chardonnay." And instead I always try to say, "I don't like this particular Chardonnay."

It bears repeating that Clare and I invented the ViniCode to describe wines, not to rate them. We want to leave that up to the taster. So with that in mind I would like to describe to you five rosés that were tasted at Muss and Turner's in Vinings, Georgia on Saturday, March 1. Every taster had their favorite and the reasons were as varied as the wines. But the ViniCodes should make it obvious that rosés, like every other wine are far too variable to simply dismiss them with a casual "I don't like rosés!"

Many thanks to Ryan, Katy and everyone else at Muss and Turner's for making these evenings so much fun. And to the Ehrhards, Mark and Fran, for always being there!

Vin du Bugey-Cerdon
"La Cueille"
NV
France
$14.00

This was the only sparkling example at the tasting. This rosé was definitely on the sweet side but had enough acidity to keep it defined and focused. None of the tasters detected oak but all of us picked up on the fruity, berry flavors present in the wine. This wine also did not exihibit any spicy or earthy notes and the bubbles kept it refreshingly light. If you like the delicious Italian sparkler Moscato D'Asti, then you will like this wine. The big difference between the two, is the Bugey-Cardon was crisper and more acidic. It would be great as an aperitif to greet your guests as they arrive and the low alcohol (8%) insures they don't get tipsy before the food arrives. (The ViniCode for the Moscato d'Asti was 3 7 1 8 2 2)

Santa Digna
Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé
2007
Chile
$8.00

The simple fact that this rosé was made from the Cabernet grape probably means that the producers want you to take it more seriously. And it was. It was also completely different from the Bugey-Cardon above. If you closed your eyes you would think that you were drinking a red wine. The Santa Digna was dry, but still had a well-defined acidity. Oak was certainly a part of this wine's character. It added a toasty quality... even the flavor of chocolate. It had a certain fruitiness, but the predominant flavor was that of the earth. The briary character of the Cabernet grape shone through and made this wine very interesting, adding complexity. Competing with the fruitiness were the effects of the higher alcohol content, 14% (the body). Looking for an alternative to red wine? Try Santa Digna.

Mas Carlot
Cuvée Tradition
2004
France
$9.00

Just as the Santa Digna was rosé's answer to red wine, Mas Carlot was it's answer to white. Very similar in tone and texture to Sauvignon Blanc, the wine was comparible to Santa Digna in dryness and acidity, but there was no detectible oak. As for flavor what really stood out was that grassy, herbiness so prevalent in New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs (under earthy). This wine was also lighter than the Santa Digna and this, plus the lack of oakiness made it feel more like a white wine. If you are a fan of Sauvignon Blancs, you would like Mas Carlot Rosé.

Sauvion
Rosé d'Anjou
2006
France
$12.00

And now for something completely different! Sauvion has produced what many people might consider the typical rosé. It was semi-sweet and semi-round. This seems to be the definition of rosé that most people carry around with them. Again, there was no detectible oak, but the earthiness, in this case a minty quality, was surprisingly refreshing. This worked well with the traditional rose fruitiness. This wine was quite light and could best be described as fun and frivolous. If you just love rosé and have not tried Rosé d'Anjou... then what are you waiting for?

Sutter Home
White Zinfandel
2006
California
$5.00

No rose tasting is complete without the ubiquitous Sutter Homes White Zinfandel. In the late seventies and early eighties, this wine was synonymous with pink wine in the U.S. The winemakers at Sutter Home have hit upon a style that is very user-friendly, and is insanely popular. This was the sweetest of the selections and also the roundest. What it lacked in crispness it made up for in sippability. Again we could not detect any oak, but the fruitiness of this wine is right out front and undeniable. This wine felt fuller than all of the other rosés save the Santa Digna due to it's 12% alcohol - high for a sweet wine. If you are new to wine, or have a friend who is not a wine drinker, introduce them to Sutter Home White Zinfandel.