ADVERTISING: Advertorial — GEORGE BALLING: The summer 2020 rosé column
Even though the weather is not cooperating with warm sunny days and lovely summertime evenings, we are starting to see the arrival of the full portfolio of dry rosé wines. It is tough to get in the mood for drinking these lovely crisp and refreshing pink wines when the temps are in the 50s and every weekend seems to feature ample rainfall, but this too shall pass. So here is the lineup of our favorites for summer.
As we have written about so many times, the 2019 Skylark Pink Belly ($25, $22.50 wine club) our most popular rosé, was delayed due to bottling line shut downs in California. It does arrive this month though! We received a couple of sample bottles from the winery and we can tell you with certainty that owner/winemaker, John Lancaster, has done it again! This is the reason it is our most popular dry rosé each and every year. Bone dry, crisp and clean, the wine has lovely flavors of ripe, spring berries and the red fruits of summer, all framed by ample acidity.
The 2018 Domaine du Salvard Cheverny Rosé ($20, $18 wine club) from the Loire Valley is another show stopper. You would never know the wine is crafted from Cabernet Franc; it is so lively and “light on its feet.” Bright fruit flavors of ripe raspberry and an unpredicted apple note make for a compelling flavor profile. The acids are perfectly balanced and the palate weight is ideal. The wine will quickly transport you to the South of France and will be perfect with creamy cheese and cured meats.
Pierre and Marie Chermette have produced another lovely pink wine with their 2019 vintage of the Griottes Beaujolais ($22, $19.80 wine club). Beaujolais is one of the grape varietals that is just about perfectly suited for making rosé. Small, thin-skinned berries that are typically harvested with higher acids early in the season make a wine that is crisp and clean, and because the sugars are a bit lower, a wine that also has lower alcohol. The Chermette is just 13% alcohol with vibrant strawberry and cherry flavors and mineral focused aromatics. We received an allocation of just two cases so this one will go fast.
The 2019 Domaine les Aphillanthes Nymphea Rosé ($18, $16.20 wine club) is a new wine for us this year. A blend of Grenache and Mourvèdre, the wine has lovely body and mouth feel to go along with traditional rosé palate flavors of ripe spring berries, and like most of the wines from France, plenty of acid framing all the vibrant fruit. The aromas are as lively as the palate, with notes of wet river rock and broiled citrus. This is another wine that just needs a shady spot on a hot summer day!
As we like to say in the wine trade, the 2019 Calafuria Tormaresca Rose ($18, $16.20 wine club) from our friends at Antinori in Italy, has great packaging. Packaging without great wine to go along with it, won’t sell the wine on its own, but with a combination like this the wine is rapidly moving to the top of our customer’s wish list. Made from Sangiovese, the wine is crisp and clean and has plenty of acid, keeping the wine light and eminently drinkable on a warm summer day. A touch of sea salt salinity on the palate makes it perfect with barbecued oysters or grilled shrimp.
The 2018 Ryan Patrick Rosé ($13, $11.70 wine club) is a lovely pink wine at a crowd-pleasing price. The winemaker at Ryan Patrick has crafted a light and crisp rosé from Washington State grown grapes, where frankly too much of the rosé made is a bit weighty. They get the wine off the skins quickly, and combined with early harvested Syrah the result is a mid-palate loaded with strawberry, pomegranate and rhubarb flavors leading into a clean finish.
Finally, the 2018 Pratsch Rosé ($15, $13.50 wine club) from Austria is another new wine for us this year. Crafted from 100% organically grown grapes, the wine appears much darker than what the palate delivers. It is every bit as crisp and clean as all the wines listed here, but with dense cherry flavors for a delicious combination and contrast. The wine is fermented bone dry but has compelling texture.
There is the starting lineup of rosé heading into summer. As we sell out of the allocated items listed above, we will add in some additional wines to carry us through the warm months, so check back with the shop regularly to find out about new arrivals. We will stay well-stocked on these popular summer wines throughout the season.
• • •
George Balling is co-owner with his wife, Mary Lancaster, of the dinner party, a wine and gift shop in Coeur d’Alene by Costco. The dinner party has won the award for best wine shop in North Idaho twice, including for 2018. George is also published in several other publications around the country.
After working in wineries in California and judging many wine competitions, he moved to Coeur d’Alene with Mary more than 10 years ago to open the shop. You can also follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop.