I have been on a Rose kick for the past couple of weeks. At the same time, I have had friends ask me about some of my favorites as some have never sampled a Rose’, so I thought I would go to our local Costco and G-Will Liquor store and buy a few that I haven’t tried. During the hot summer months a Rose’ wine is very refreshing. I prefer to have a Grenache or Cabernet Sauvignon style Rose’ and tend to stay away from the sweet ones. I prefer a slightly dry wine and you should remember to serve them cold. I throw mine in a plastic bag right in a cooler with ice.
The local G-will liquor store had many Rose’ to choose from. After some wandering and pondering I decided to choose:
* “Eye of the Toad” from Toad Hollow winery in Sonoma.
* “Gazela” from Sogrape Vinhos, S/A Portugal.
* “Prestige” from La Chasse in the Cotes du Rhone region of France.
The fourth bottle I bought came from our local Costco. It was a Rose’ from Chateau D’ Aqueria from the Tavel AOC France.
Here are my tasting notes for each bottle.
2011 Chateau D’ Aqueria
Sight – Pale color depth with a nice salmon hue.
Smell – The aromas were weak but fruity and I noted strawberry.
Taste – Slightly sweet but dry, with a medium finish. It was light bodied with no distinctive tannins. This Rose’ was flavorful and I could taste strawberry and peach.
abv: 14%
How much: Less than $15.00
I rated the 2011 Chateau D’ Aqueria three glasses.
2012 Toad Hollow Pinot Noir Rose’
Sight – Pale color depth with a nice salmon hue. It was very clear in the glass.
Smell – Moderate nose and fruity while we noted strawberry, peach, and bright fruit.
Taste – Slightly dry and light bodied. We could taste peach and Chris thought it had a “funky” back finish., which was long and flavorful.
abv: 11.5%
How much: $8.99 and a pretty good buy.
I rated the 2012 Toad Hollow Pinot Noir Rose’ two glasses.
2009 La Chasse Prestige Cores Du Rhone Rose’
Sight – Thin color depth and an orange hue.
Smell – The La Chasse was very aromatic and fruity. We could smell caramel, floral notes and I thought I noted anise.
Taste – Slightly dry and almost medium bodied. The acidity was lively and we tastes tangerine and lemon. This Rose’ was very soft with a medium finish. A few of us thought the nose was better than its taste.
abv: 13.5
How much: $11.99
I rated the 2009 La Chasse Prestige Cores Du Rhone Rose’ two glasses. It had a great nose but needed something more.
Gazela Rose’ – Note it is a non vintage Rose’
Sight – Pale color depth with an orange hue.
Smell – Very aromatic and fruity with floral notes and sweet fruit.
Taste – Slightly sweet, not very dry and crisp. This Rose’ was light bodied and the acidity was nice. It was very flavorful and we tasted peach. The Gazela was slightly bubbly like a pink Champagne and the finish was velvety and soft.
abv: 10%
How much: $6.46 The Gazela was a great buy.
I rated the non vintage Gazela Rose three glasses. Julie liked the bottle and took it home!
So it turns out the lowest costing Rose’ was the winner today. It does pay to read the labels and try to know the regions you buy the wines from. I think in this case, the wines from France were a bit earthier. The Sonoma Rose’ was good but Chris thought it had a funk. I could taste something but I think a good Pinot Noir will be a little funky anyways. The Rose’ from Portugal had a very brief label. I have no idea what Portuguese varietals were used.
So if you like sweeter Rose’ wines, the Gazela would be the best. A drier Rose’ could be one of the wines from France. I thought the Eye of the Toad was pretty good so I need to do some research and try some of Toad Hollows wines.
Life is too short to drink crappy wine. Expand your palate and keep trying.
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