Manhattan has just come through the hottest July in millennia, and I have come home from a trip to find Aldo melted into a pool on the apartment. I recognize strands of his goatee and his crocs. How to revive my poor friend?One. Turn on the a.c. – I suspect he was in the process of reaching for the switch, but was already too reduced in size to succeed.
Two. Repair to the wine fridge and pick a bottle of rosé.
We drink rosés all year round, Aldo and I, but before my trip we had focused on the happy exercise of tasting and rating bottle after bottle from New York stores. Our sentiment was noble: Wouldn’t it benefit and educate mankind if we set forth our thoughts on wines from the 2009 vintage, the ones being made available this summer?
Wine sellers make their big rosé push in these hot months. Possibly the notion is that consumers, who generally prefer reds, will think of rosés as a red that has somehow lightened along with the season—it’s on vacation. The color of rosés is, indeed, a beautiful range of berry, coral, salmon, with flecks of ruby and orange, and a perfect match for a setting sun. And, if you’re an artist or decorator, that easily could be the standard by which you choose one at the store. But you may want a rosé that’s a good match for dinner, or for an appetitizer of cheese. You may want it with some heft on the palate. You may want it fleet, a bit sweet, fruity or dry. They’re versatile enough to hit those points solidly, and also differently, without being too expensive, or too demanding. These aren’t usually wines meant for aging. But some really fine rosés can.
On the other hand, let’s start by noting that—well, a certain fatigue can set in with rosés, although the French ones were almost invariably our favorites. This is not a list that ranges from, say, Tolstoy to Harold Robbins. It’s more like a diet of EM Forster, encompassing both considerable delights and …. slight limits. Now our 2009 favorites:
Puzelat Ko Rosé/ Sari Puzelat-Bonhomme. A welcoming nose of mint and floral aromas. On the palate, layered, long flavors of raspberry and honeysuckle, giving way to a finish of ginger and anise. Light-bodied, with an underlying sweetness. Under $15. (Importer: Louis/Dressner.)
Cantalupo/”Il Mimo.” A very dependable Piedmont Nebbiolo rosé we’ve enjoyed in the past, and enjoyed this time too. In the glass, a deep salmon pink—almost sushi—with aromas of cherry soda, anise and rose petals. The first impression on the palate is of a bright cherryiosity, if you will, rounded out by rhubarb, nectarine, citrus and licorice. The slight tannin keeps the wine from a cloying fruitiness. Not a deep wine—and that masque on the label is a bit Phantom of the Opera—but approachable, pleasant and a good value for $15. (Importer: Polaner Selections.)
Dom. Tempier. From Bandol, in Provence. A touch of beige lightens the salmon color in the glass. A delicate but rich nose: citrus, light floral, honeysuckle, peach. On the palate: medium-plus acidity, medium bodied. The flavors, which unfold broadly at midpalate, include lemon, melon, a little honey, baked apple, almond, grapefruit, and spice at the finish. Long length. It is rounded, understatedly complex and concentrated—quite elegant. Aldo described it as a fawn peeping out amid tall grasses. $38. (Importer: Kermit Lynch.)
Bermejo Rosado. From Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. This boldly tart, nearly full-bodied wine was our favorite choice from Spain. Color: Cranberry with flecks of orange—very pretty, very inviting. On the nose, light notes of guava, cherry and tropical fruit. On the palate: High acidity, a slight oiliness and a burst of cranberry that fades to star anise. $29. (Importer: Vinos & Gourmet Inc./a Jose Pastor Selection.)
Schloss Gobelsburger. From Austria. Medium aromas of musk, tea, orange and floral notes on the nose; and, in the mouth, medium flavors of lemon, spice, tea and orange, with a citrus finish—a subtly layered taste experience, delivered with crisp acidity. Good construction, mild and refreshing. At $14, a very good deal. (Importer: Michael Skurnik.)
Mas des Bressades. The rosés of Provence were almost uniformly the most intriguing of the wines we tasted, with a particular delicacy of color and a light minerality that make them instantly identifiable. This one, a blend of grenache, syrah and cinsault, was a beautiful coral, touched by orange, with a sharp aroma of berries underpinned by leaves and earth. In the mouth, it was smooth, slightly tangy, balanced, with the dominant flavors being anise, orange rind and vanilla, with a slight cinnamon heat at the end. A rosé with some bite on the palate, but some nuance beyond that—broad, rapid layerings of flavor. Hardly a better rosé for $12. (Importer, Robert Kacher)
Chateau Soucherie/Cuvée l’astrée. This Loire wine is salmon colored, of course, but with a lustrous pearliness and a pronounced nose of lavendar. Palate is dry, with high acidity and medium body, as well as medium flavors of citrus, lemon, pomegranate, almond and strawberry. Long length, with a citrus finish. Somewhat tart, even a little taut—which gives it a light, lithe muscularity amid so many of these rosés. $16. (Importer: Neal Rosenthal.)
Clos Sainte Madeleine. This Cassis wine begins with a rather beguiling Provençal nose—peach, honey, wildflower—followed with a gentle palate of grapefruit, apricot, tropical fruit. It is both light and long, very well-made. Aldo described it as being like a little well-pitched tent in a field of blossoms. We can’t really do much about him, can we? $24. (Importer: Kermit Lynch.) Clos Roche Blanche. A rosé of Pinot d’Aunis from the Loire. Comes unfiltered, with a grapefruit nose, high acidity and focused grapefruit flavor too—it’s a palate cleanser, and charmingly breezy. You can imagine drinking it at a spa instead of taking the waters. $19. (Importer: Louis/Dressner.)
Jean-Marie Raffault. Another Loire gem. This refreshing Chinon has a medium intense nose of cherry and musk, with a slight floral note. Concentrated palate of cherry, strawberry, rhubarb, lemon and nutmeg—some minerality, to boot. Lightly tannic, with crisp acidity—a balanced, firm wine, with long length and a citrus finish. $18. (Importer: VOS Selections.)
Robert Sinskey/ Vin Gris of Pinot Noir. From Los Carneros, Calif. For all the pleasure of the French wines, this California rosé, made of pinot noir, is a great one, and possibly the most memorable of the 50 or so we tasted. Medium plus aromas of rose, rust, clove, tea, orange. Crisp acidity, medium bodied, no tannins. Flavors of strawberry, blood orange, ginger—an unusually harmonious palate, so concentrated it almost has the quality of distilled fruit. Smooth, silky mouthfeel. $30.
Christian Lauverjat/Moulin des Vrilleres. This Sancerre rosé pours out a pretty coral—the most beguiling color in a rosé—and gives off a nose of red berries and citrus. Well-balanced, with refined flavors of lemon, hazelnut, pineapple and minerality. To-the-point, but elegant. $20. (Importer: David Bowler.)
Gerard Boulay Rosé. This Sancerre from Chavignol gives off a ravishing color—pale pink flecked with orange—and a ravishing nose too: light aromas of cranberry, musk, orange rind and even a little bacon. The acidity is crisp, the body medium, and there is a faint drying in the mouth—a hint of tannin. Medium flavors of blood orange, lemon, grapefruit rind, cranberry and nectarine, with a stone-fruit finish. Concentrated, complex, even atmospheric—Matisse would have enjoyed having a glass at hand while painting. $26. (Importer: Polaner Selections.)
