Wine Reviews & Recommendations

Dry Rosé Wines Perfect
for Autumn Holidays

As autumn deepens, I think it time to focus upon that great cross-over wine, dry rosé. Not sweet rosé, but rosés that taste more or less dry, even if they contain a trace of residual sugar.

Dry rosés have improved dramatically in quality in recent years, both because more top wineries are producing them and because the wine type is being treated with “respect” (that is, wines are being produced from quality grapes, by experienced vintners).

Dry rosés are usually fuller bodied and more complex in flavor than most white wines (oak aged Chardonnay excepted), and are extremely versatile at the table. They are in fact extremely well-suited to ham and turkey dishes, suggesting that you should not overlook them during upcoming in holiday meals.

The following wines were made a year ago, and soon will disappear from the market, as their 2007 counterparts replace them. But the bottle aging they have received since their release has only benefited them, all of which are now at their best.

As usual, I have listed the roses here in approximate order of their weight and flavor intensity, within each group, proceeding from lighter to fuller. I end with four wonderful 2005 California Pinot Noirs.

Imported Dry Rosé Wine Recommendations

YALUBMA, 2006 SANGIOVESE ROSÉ, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, $11-$12

Screw cap. Medium+ purple pink color. Very fruity in character (cherry, plum, watermelon), full bodied, dry, and fairly intense in flavor, with a long finish. Excellent value. Drink through the end of this year.

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GREEN POINT, 2006 PINOT NOIR ROSÉ, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, $14-$16

Screw cap. Medium pinkish red. Fine nose: fragrant, fruity and slightly floral in character. Medium bodied, dry, well balanced, and very long on the finish, tasting of strawberry, raspberry, toast, and rose petal. Great value. Drink through the end of this year.

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HACIENDA ARAUCANO, 2006 CARMENERE ROSADO, VALLE CENTRAL, CHILE, $10-$11

Screw cap. Medium orange pink color. Delicate fruity-herbal aroma, with cherry and raspberry overtones. Full bodied, smoothly textured, and lightly tannic on the finish, with peppery, herbal overtones. Drink through the end of this year.

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BRAMPTON, 2006 ROSÉ, COASTAL REGION, SOUTH AFRICA, $10-$11

Screw cap. Medium pink red color. Round, nearly dry, medium full bodied, and intensely flavored (cherry, plum, pepper, toast); a rose with good depth and length, with a hint of tannin. Excellent. 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 9% Syrah, 2% Petit Verdot. Drink through the end of this year.

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BODEGAS ADA, 2005 RED GUITAR, OLD VINE ROSÉ, NAVARRA, SPAIN, $11-$13

Medium pink color. Grapey and fairly intense in character, this is a dry, full bodied rosé, with excellent flavor intensity and balance. Long aftertaste, tasting of raspberry, plum, strawberry, and herbs. Garnacha. Drink through the end of this year.

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MULDERBOSCH, 2006 CABERNET SAUVIGNON ROSÉ, STELLENBOSCH, SOUTH AFRICA, $11-$13

Light-medium pink color. Fragrant, medium full bodied, off dry, and finely flavored, this is an excellent wine, with a medium long finish, tasting of rose petal, plum, raspberry, and pepper. 2% Cabernet Franc. Drink through the end of this year.

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VINA DONA PAULA, LOS CARDOS, 2006 MALBEC ROSÉ, LUJAN DE CUYO, ARGENTINA, $8-$10

Screw cap. Light purple-red color. Fragrant, very fruity (strawberry, plum), medium-full bodied, well balanced, and persistent on the finish. Delicious. 15,000 cases. Drink through the end of this year.

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Domestic Dry Rosé Wine Recommendations

LYNMAR, 2006 VIN GRIS, ROSÉ OF PINOT NOIR, RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY, $23-$25

Light-medium pink. Exceptional rose: supple in texture, full bodied, and both subtle and complex in style--tasting of plum, cherry, roasted nut, and pink grapefruit. Drink through the end of this year.

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DOMAINE CHANDON, 2006 PINOT NOIR ROSÉ, CARNEROS, $19-$21

Screw cap. Excellent rose: fragrant in aroma (plum, watermelon, cherry), full bodied, well balanced, and long on the finish. 5,000 cases. Drink through the end of this year.

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VINA ROBLES, 2006 ROSEUM HUERHEURO, PASO ROBLES, $14-$15

Screw cap. Medium purplish pink color. Very fruity in aroma, full bodied, dry, and well balanced, with a very long finish, tasting of blackberry, strawberry, watermelon, plum, and roasted nut. Excellent. 60% Grenache, 40% Syrah. Drink through the end of this year.

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EPIPHANY, 2006 GRENACHE ROSÉ, SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, $16-$18

Medium+ purplish pink color. Complex and rich in style: full bodied, supple in texture, well balanced, and very long and persistent on the finish (like a light red wine), tasting of strawberry, clove, toast, and raspberry. Delicious. Drink through the end of this year.

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TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD, 2006 ROSÉ, PASO ROBLES, $28-$30

Screw cap. Full purple pink color. Complex in character; nearly like a light red wine. It is supple, dry, and very full bodied, with evident richness, layers of complexity, and long, lightly tannic finish, tasting of plum, herbs, oak, and roasted nut. 60% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 12% Counoise. Drink through the end of 2008.

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Napa Valley Pinot Noir Recommendations

WILLIAMS SELYEM, 2005 PINOT NOIR, RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY, $44-$46

Wonderful Pinot Noir: it is finely flavored, full bodied, and lightly oaky; a wine with complex character (rose petal, cherry, toast, roasted nut, and spicy oak) and a long finish. Drink through 2009.

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PAUL HOBBS
* 2005 PINOT NOIR, RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY, $45-$47
* 2005 PINOT NOIR, ULISES VALDEZ VINEYARD, RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY, $70-$75
* 2005 PINOT NOIR, HYDE VINEYARD, CARNEROS, NAPA VALLEY, $70-$75

Three top Pinots. The RRV bottling is full bodied and moderately rich in style, with smooth textured, light oakiness, fine flavor (plum, toasted oak, nutmeg, cherry, clove), and a long finish. 2,051 cases. The Valdez version is a bit more complex, showing a bit more new oak character (vanilla, spicy oak), and has a very long finish, with overtones of baked cherry, plum, and pepper. 279 cases. The Hyde Vineyard is velvety in texture, finely flavored (plum, strawberry, toast, nutmeg, vanilla), and long on the palate, with a persistent finish. 725 cases. Drink through 2009.

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-- RW

Related Wine Resources If you enjoyed these wine reviews, you might also find the following wine resources to be useful: September '07: Hobbs Chardonnay Wine Reviews Glossary of Wine Terms Types of Wine Around the World How to Serve Wine Choosing Wine Glasses