The Wine Writers Circle of Canada recently hosted a Rosé tasting. We had over fifty wines available to taste from various growing regions. France, Italy, Australia, Spain, New Zealand and Ontario were all present. There were a lot of great wines on the table. The table was full of surprises including my favorite french bottle from Chateau de Berne. Chateau de Berne comes in what looks like an Olive oil bottle. I try to avoid a snobby approach to wine, but how could I possibly take this ridiculous bottle seriously? I was silenced the moment the wine hit my lips and then again on the second sip.
A further gentle reminder that Rosé is not pretentious and just meant to be delicious came from Italy with the Giovello Rose. A hint of sweetness on the finish of the wine but still balanced this wine straight up tastes like fruit roll-up. It’s easy drinking and has me anticipating a very hot day.
The top of the mountain very much goes to the Ontario wines. Really great Ontario rosé has depth that was missing from the foreign offerings. Even when you have a bit of sweetness on the finish the wines were always met with balanced acidity and often with a savory note just poking through.
Here are some bottles that I really enjoyed.
2015 Chateau de Berne – LCBO 515894 – $17.95 – **** – Coming in an olive oil sort of bottle I had to ask myself what they were trying to pull here. When I tasted the wine all doubts were quelled immediately. Aromas of peaches and apricot in this dry wine with flavours to match. The finish bring out line and lemon flavours including the peel. Delicious.
2015 Giovello Rose – LCBO 445627 – $10.95 – ***1/2 – The fruit in this wine comes off as candied. In spite of the very ripe flavours of raspberry, cherry and strawberry this wine does have some acidity to balance it out. This wine does drink dangerously easy, and that definitely has something to do with the fact that it tastes a little like Kool-Ade. Because of the sweetness this wine gets easier to enjoy the hotter it gets outside.
2015 Pink House Wine Company – LCBO 324558 – $12.95 – ***1/2+ – The label on this wine is a lot of fun. There are rules printed on the back of this wine that make sure you know that this isn’t a pretentious wine. There are flavours of watermelon and more subtly orange. There is a big of sweetness in the glass but still balanced. With a little sweetness I find that this wine does get better when the weather is warmer outside. You will want to make sure to serve this at fridge temperature. On a hot day as the wine warms up in your glass the flavour will move from watermelon to strawberry.
2015 Malivoire Ladybug Rosé – Vintages 559088 – $15.95 – **** – This is one of the pink wines that is available year round in your local vintages section. It’s light and strawberry with watermelon. There is a hint of sweetness on the finish of this wine but balanced with palate cleansing acidity makes it taste dry. I am thankful in October every year that this wine is available year round because I enjoy pairing this wine with turkey… so in the summer let’s go with turkey burger.
2015 Peninsula Ridge Beal Vineyard Cabernet Rosé – Vintages 177840 – $13.95 – **** – This wine tastes like strawberry rhubarb jam in liquid form. I don’t want to meet the person who isn’t excited about that. The strawberry is so ripe that it tastes a little like fruit roll-up on the palate but then you get this hint of red bell pepper poking through.
2015 Sibling Rivalry Pink – LCBO 171033 – $13.95 – ***1/2+ – The flavours on this wine are a little heavier and more red wine-ish than the other wines in this list. The acidity hits the palate front and centre bringing out raspberry and strawberry flavours. The fruit is all ripe with no savory note in this wine.
Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catharine – LCBO 217505 – $29.95 – **** – Bubbly Rosé is one of the best way to get your pink wine fix. The red fruit flavours are more subtle in this wine than non-bubbly versions of Rosé. There are flavours of cranberry working in harmony citrus flavours. Aromas of rising bread also make an appearance in the glass. You could use this to make mimosas but why would you want to dillute the delicate flavours in this bottle.
2015 Southbrook Cabernet Franc Rosé – Winery Only – $19.95 – ****+ – If you want a glass of this wine you’re going to have to go to the Amsterdam Brewhouse on Queens Quay this summer. This wine will have a limited engagement being poured at this restaurant and it’s not going to last long. You can also head down to Niagara to visit this winery to grab a taste. Very smooth strawberry flavours and a hint of roasted herb on the finish.
