Summertime wine - rose(1)
On Wednesday June 29, I attended Spiritland Bistro's BYOB Wine and Dine event in Santa Barbara, featuring Rosé wine. The featured speaker was winemaker Richard Sanford, and the guest chef for the evening was Suzanne Landry.
Guest chef Suzanne Landry is a chef and teacher at SBCC, specializing in natural foods and diet centered on whole grains and fresh produce. The first course of our dinner was Assorted Gourmet Cheeses and breads. The second course was Orange & Fennel Salad with Chili Pepper and Kalamata Olives. The third course was Blackened Local Snapper over Fiesta Quinoa ‘Salad' with Roasted Summer Vegetables. The fourth course was Chilled Strawberry-Rhubarb Soup with Madelines. I enjoyed the Orange & Fennel Salad very much, especially on such a warm Santa Barbara summer day. It was very refreshing and the flavors worked well together. I also enjoyed the Blackened Local Snapper and the Roasted Summer Vegetables. I didn't love the Quinoa ‘Salad', but it was ok. Having just cruised and endured endless selections of fruit soups, I wasn't looking forward to the Chilled Strawberry-Rhubarb Soup, but it was tasty and well prepared. Overall, a very good showing by Chef Landry.
Richard Sanford is the owner and winemaker at Alma Rosa Winery, and is an icon in Santa Barbara winemaking. Mr. Sanford has been making wine in the Santa Ynez Valley for 40 years. After doing his research carefully, Mr. Sanford determined that the Santa Rita Hills emulated the weather and terroir of Burgundy, and he decided to set down roots there. Mr. Sanford founded the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard around 1970. Later, he founded Sanford Winery in 1981, and proceeded to plant the El Jabali Vineyard in 1983, the La Rinconada Vineyard in 1995, and the La Encantada Vineyard in 2000. Mr. Sanford has pioneered organic farming and sustainable agricultural practices in the Santa Ynez Valley. Mr. Sanford specializes in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Noir - Vin Gris (a dry rosé). At the dinner, Mr. Sanford shared his Pinot Noir - Vin Gris and his Pinot Gris wines.
As usual, all the participants bring a bottle of wine to share with everyone, giving everyone the opportunity to sample a wide variety of wines from a large number of producers. At this event, most of the Rosé wines that were shared were from California and France, with a few oddballs from Washington, Spain, and other regions. Rosé wines have a wide variety of colors, from pale to salmon.
French Rosés are typically produced from Syrah, Mourvédre, Grenache, and Cinsault grapes. French Rosés from the Rhône valley are characteristically darker in color and feature flavors of watermelon, cherry, tobacco, and other earthy spices. French Rosés from the traditional home of rose wine - Provence, are lighter in color, and feature flavors of dried fruit, tea, and other lighter spices. Rosé from Spain is usually made from Tempranillo, and Rosé from Italy is usually produced from Sangiovese. Rosés from France and California are growing in popularity, and pair quite well with all types of lighter summer foods, including fish, poultry, fruit, and vegetables.
The most common way to make Rosé is by Maceration. In this process, the colored skins of red grapes are steeped in the juice for a short time period after crushing and before fermentation. The maceration period is typically temperature-controlled, with lower temperatures helping to preserve and promote aromatic characteristics, and lasts anywhere from a few hours to a few days. This allows the juice to pick up color from the grape skins, and also imparts light tannins for structure.
Mr. Sanford talked briefly about the fact that Rosé wine was once merely an offshoot of red-wine making. Producers would press their red grapes and "bleed off" a small quantity of the initial, lighter-colored juice in a process known as saignée. This pink juice was fermented as rosé while the remaining, more deeply colored juice was used for red-wine production. Also, some rosés are made by blending a small amount of finished red wine with finished white wine. This method is less common for rosé table wines, and is more frequently used to produce sparkling rosés.
Below is my report and reviews of the wines I was able to taste:
1. CHARLES & CHARLES Rosé 2010 Columbia Valley, Washington State - Made from Syrah, this rosé is plump and peppery. I got it at Whole Foods in Santa Barbara for about $13.00. I enjoyed it and rated it 89 points.
2. MYV (Minassian Young Vineyards) Grenache Rosé Paso De Robles 2010 - Sweet and sappy, I found this wine to be awkward and out of balance. 83 pionts.
3. BOTASEA 2009 Rosato Di. Palmina Rosé, Santa Barbara County - Made from Dolcetto, Nebbiolo and Barbera grapes, this wine is slightly medicinal and reminded me of cheap fruit punch. I thought the flavor profile was too nebulous to paint a nice picture. 85 points.
4. ALMA ROSA Pinot Noir-Vin Gris, El Jabali Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills 2009 - I liked the pretty color and nose of this rosé right away. On the palate, this rosé is very pretty, with snappy acid and fun cherry fruit flavors. An interesting and enjoyable rosé that I enjoyed very much and rated 92 points.
5. DOMAINE DE LA FOUQUETTE - Cuvee Rosee D' Aurore, 2010, Cotes De Provence - Made from 65% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, and 5% Rolle, this wine features big citrus and grapefruit on the palate. Light in color and very refreshing, I rated it 87 points.
6. FOXEN Rosé of Mourvédre, Santa Ynez Valley, 2010 - This rosé has a pretty pink hue with a nice nose featuring watermelon and some spice. On the palate, the watermelon dominates the party. A very nice wine I enjoyed and rated 89 points.
7. CHATEAU DU ROUET - Cuvee Reservee Tradition 2009, Cotes De Provence - an interesting light tea and salmon color with a quiet nose, featuring ripe berries on the palate. Not as ripe as the California wines, I rated it 86 points.
8. KH KESSLER-HAAK - Sta. Rita Hills Rose of Pinot Noir 2010 - Very pretty deep salmon pink color with nice fruit on the nose. On the palate, it tastes like good fruit punch, with a number of dark and light berry flavors all in play at the same time, with a good finish and nice acidity. One of my favorites of the night, I rated it 91 points.
9. SUNSTONE 2008 Syrah Rosé, Santa Ynez Valley - slightly medicinal on the nose to start. On the palate, it reminded of a Luden's cough drop. Not my favorite - 82 points.
10. BRANDER Chateau Neuf Du Pink Rosé, Santa Ynez Valley 2009 - Nice deep salmon color, but a bit rough and undisciplined on the palate. 84 points.
11. DOMAINE DU DRAGON 2010 Grande Cuvee, Cotes De Provence - Another typical and classical Provencal rosé - light pale tea color with decent fruit on the nose. Light and a little spicy and earthy on the palate. Enjoyable but not great, I rated it 86 points.
12. WHISPERING ANGEL Cotes De Provence, Chateau d' Esclans Rosé 2009 - yet another typical and classical Provencal rosé. Lighter than the previous wine, with a light tea hue. Some fruit on the palate, but more spice. Overall, boring - I rated it 83 points.
13. TAPIZ - Malbec Rosé, Mendoza Argentina 2010 - interesting deep pink hue with a flamboyant nose and big punchy flavors. I found this wine to be fun to drink and interesting, and I rated it 88 points.
14. ALMA ROSA Pinot Gris, Santa Barbara County 2009 - not a rose, but one of the Winemaker's entries. Typical Pinot Gris color and nose. A bit flabby on the palate, seemingly lacking acid. Decent overall - I rated it 87 points.
15. SANTA BARBARA WINERY 2010 Rose of Syrah, Sta. Rita Hills - Nice vanilla and cherry flavors on the palate with a pretty pink hue. A fun wine that I enjoyed and rated 89 points.
16. FLORESTA 2009 - Spain: Made from 50% Garnacha, 25% Merlot, 15% Syrah, and 10% Mourvédre. I liked the color of this wine, but on the palate it has a big hit of bell pepper. I found the bell pepper notes distracting. 81 points.
17. TOURAINE Val de Loire Grolleau - Pinot Noir 2010 - Another wine with the bell pepper flaw. Light in color and boring. I rated it 83 points.
18. LA VIEILLE FERME - Rhone Valley Vineyards 2010 - Made from Grenache and Cinsault, this rosé is soft and easy to enjoy. Not terribly interesting, I rated it 86 points.
19. CUVAISON 2010 Vin Gris of Pinot Noir, Napa Valley - Carneros - Nice pink color with pretty candied fruit and vanilla on the palate. Very enjoyable, I rated it 90 points.
20. LA PUMA - Camp Four Vineyard 2006 Rhone Rose - Leia: Made from 67% Syrah and 33% Cinsault, this wine was slightly oxidized. One of the most tannic and strong rosés of the night. I liked this and rated it 89 points.
21. CHINON - Domaine de Beausejour 2009 - Val de Loire - Made from 100% Cabernet Franc, this was a weird wine. The flavor profile was more spicy than fruity, and the wine lacks balance. Not a favorite, I rated it 82 points.
22. CURTIS 2007 Heritage Rosé - Santa Barbara County - Made from roughly equal parts Syrah, Mourvédre, Grenache and Cinsault, this wine has interesting flavors and characteristics. I thought there might be just too much going on, but not a bad effort. 85 points.
23. LA FERME JULIEN, Cotes Du Ventoux, Rosé 2009 - Produced from 50% Cinsault, 40% Grenache, and 10% Syrah, this was a pretty, nice, and easy wine to enjoy. A nice balance of fruit and spice, I rated it 89 points.
24. SORELLINA 2009 Grenache Rosé - Santa Ynez Valley - lighter in color than its Santa Ynez Valley competition, this rosé was fruity and slightly punchy. Fun overall, I rated it 86 points.
25. OLIVARES 2010 Jumilla, Spain - Rosé - Made from 70% Monastrell and 30% Syrah, this wine is light and pleasant, but it has cloying sweetness like a White Zinfandel. I rated it 84 points.
26. SOFIA Rosé, Francis Coppola, Monterey County 2009 - I had seen this bottle at Costco and was interested in trying it, but I didn't like the bottle. I was glad to see someone bought it for us to try. Surprising and nice fruit and vanilla on the palate. Plush and nice, I liked it and rated it 88 points.
27. HOLUS-BOLUS 2004 Rosé Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley - at 15.1% alcohol, by far the highest of the night. Most others averaged 12.5%. Interesting but too oxidized to enjoy. I doubt rosé should ever be held this long. I rated it 81 points.
28. SCHRAMSBERG Mirabelle Brut Rosé NV - starts with a yeasty nose of warm brioche. Nice on the palate with pleasing cherry and vanilla flavors. Great with food, I rated it 90 points.
29. KALYRA Brut Rose, Australia NV - industrial chemicals on the nose with a strange metallic flavor. Not enjoyable - 78 points.
30. VALLEY OF THE MOON - Rosato di Sangiovese, Sonoma County, 2009 - Nice! Interesting salmon color with pleasant fruit and some peppery spice on the palate. Good balance too. I rated it 87 points.
31. JM FONSECA TWIN VINES, Vino Rosé 2008, Portugal - Very nice color with interesting spice and fruit on the palate. A decent wine I rated 87 points.
32. CHAMPAGNE NICOLAS FEUILLATE Rosé, Brut, NV - pleasant yeast and bakery aromas on the nose. Soft and compelling on the palate. Nice light fruit and baked bread yeast on the palate. Very nice! I rated it 91 points.
33. LONGORIA 2010 Pink Wine, Cuvee June, Santa Barbara County - Nice salmon color. Pleasant fruit and fun vanilla and candy notes. Well-made wine I rated 89 points.
OVERALL WINNERS:
THIRD PLACE:
CHAMPAGNE NICOLAS FEUILLATE Rosé, Brut, NV - 91 points.
SECOND PLACE:
KH KESSLER-HAAK - Sta. Rita Hills Rose of Pinot Noir 2010 - 91 points.
FIRST PLACE & WINNER:
ALMA ROSA Pinot Noir-Vin Gris, El Jabali Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills 2009 - 92 points.
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