50 Shades of Pink - a Primer on French Rosé
by Scott Hill
With the arrival of
spring comes longer, sunshine-filled days, the blooming of flowers and trees,
refreshing breezes redolent of new growth; we eagerly put aside our bulky
winter clothing in exchange for flip-flops, shorts and t-shirts. Spring is also
the most exciting time in the wine business today - the beginning of Rosé
season!
Over the past decade,
sales of dry rosé have skyrocketed as Americans have put aside our
sweet-tooth-inspired white zinfandels and discovered the delightfully
refreshing, traditional styles long enjoyed around the world. In fact, dry rosé
is the fastest growing wine category in the US today - while representing a
small percentage of total wine consumed here, premium rosé (over $12 per
bottle) sales grew by nearly forty percent in 2013 (the last year with data
available), which followed a 33% jump in 2012. The exploding sales figures have
led importers and distributors to carry more selections of more styles from more
places than ever before, especially in the greater New York area, which enjoyed
an astounding one in five of every bottle of rosé consumed in the US in 2013.
The reasons for this rapid growth are
simple - dry rosé is possibly the most versatile wine in the world. Rosé
matches perfectly with a wide variety of foods, ranging from-popular
Mediterranean cuisine, to Asian, Indian, Tex-Mex, and of course the
all-American love affair with backyard grilling. Rosé wines are delightful by
themselves as well, especially in outdoor settings - at the beach, by the pool,
on the deck or patio, with a picnic. Rosés are unpretentious, at least for now.
For less than $25, the majority are an affordable thirst quencher. In the
glass, they practically blaze with sanguine temptation and, most importantly,
rosés are simply delicious!
With so many new
arrivals to choose from, which rosés should you be enjoying this year? Let’s
take a quick trip through the many wine regions of France, where rosé now
outsells white wine, and find out!
The South
The heart of rosé
production is undeniably Provence; the coastal region surrounding
the city of Marseilles on France’s Mediterranean coast produces 10% of the
world’s rosé, most of which is guzzled by tourists enjoying the beaches of the
French Riviera. Here, rosé is pale in color, light- to medium-bodied, crisp,
firm, and refreshing with fruit flavors such as strawberry, water-melon, and
grapefruit. The wines are made from an assortment of grapes including Cinsault,
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan, Rolle, Tibouren, and sometimes Cabernet
Sauvignon. Look for the subregions Côtes de Provence, Les
Baux-de-Provence, Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, and Coteaux
Varois en Provence, as well as the world famous Cassis, Palette
and Bandol, which make highly prized rosés. Although the best are
expensive, rosé from Provence can be found for as little is $10.
Provence is also home to the
world’s only research institute dedicated to Rosé wines, the Centre de
Recherche et d’Expériment-ation sur le
Vin Rosé, which has created an
official color scale for Provence wines including Red Currant, Peach,
Grapefruit, Melon, Mango, and Tangerine. [For more great info on Provence rosé, visit their websites at www.winesofprovence.com and www.vinsdeprovence.com]
Moving northwest from
Provence brings us to the southern Rhône, near the medieval city
of Avignon. This area, famous for Chateauneuf-du-Pape vineyards planted in
riverbed stones called galet, produces Côtes-du-Rhône and Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages
(including Rasteau, Chusclan, Sablet,
Cairanne, Laudun, Sablet, Visan,
and Séguret) rosés ranging from the Provençal style to the
deeper, mineral-driven pinks from Tavel. Using many of the same
grapes as Provence, usually with a higher percentage of Syrah in the blend,
these rosés tend to be more intensely colored and boldly flavored - think
raspberries, currants, blood orange, - making them ideal for heartier summer
fare, like charcuterie, strong cheeses, and grilled sausages and meats. The
nearby sub-regions of Ventoux, Vaucluse, Gard and Luberon
also make delicious rosés that are outstanding values.
Westward we go,
entering the Languedoc-Rousillon, with our first stop in the Costieres
de Nîmes appellation and the Coteaux du Languedoc curving
along the Mediterranean coast from Nîmes, with its ancient Roman arena, through
Montpellier, to Béziers. Throughout the
region we find the world famous garrigue influencing the wines, with
essences of the wild flowers and herbs typical on the picturesque hillsides in
every glass. Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre are the dominant grapes here,
resulting in rosés that are fruitier than those of Provence, yet not as deep as
the Rhône pinks. The Coteaux du Languedoc includes the up-and-coming wines of Minervois
and Pic Saint-Loup, darkly colored rosés often comparable to the
Rhône’s Tavels, with Syrah and Mourvedre dominating the blends. Other grapes to
watch for are Carignan and Grenache Gris, a pale cousin of the red Grenache
grape. Turning southwest, we approach the Pyrenees, finding Corbieres
before reaching 
Roussillon; both regions make delightful,
affordable rosés. Many ‘country wines’ produced throughout this region will
bear the Vin de Pays appellation, which helps explain why the
area has such a positive reputation for outstanding value. Simply put the array of
bargains to found boggles the mind (and the palate)!
Let’s skirt the
Pyrenees along the Spanish border and head towards the Atlantic coast; a quick
stop in Gascogne in the South-West of France, discovers more very
pleasant pinks, straightforward and well priced, often made from a combination
of Bordeaux and Rhone varietals, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Grenache,
Syrah, and Carignan. Following the Garonne river to the sea brings us to Bordeaux,
home of the world’s greatest Cabernet .jpg)
Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot
based reds. It’s no surprise that rosé, here sometimes called clairette, is
made with those grapes, too, producing medium bodied wines redolent of pink
grapefruit, red currant, and strawberries. More challenging to find than other
rosés, Bordeaux are worth the effort!
Northward we go, to the
Loire Valley,the garden of France, which extends from the
Atlantic coastline at Nantes to Tours and then into the very heartland,
producing some of the most popular rosé wines guzzled by tourists in Paris’
cafés. Long the playground of wealthy Paris aristocrats, the Loire is littered
with stunning Age of Enlightenment châteaux, and the rolling hillsides are
covered in vines producing dozens of styles of rôse! The most common, Rosés
d’Anjou are fresh, fruity wines made from the local Grolleau, Cabernet
Franc and Gamay grapes that often have a subtle hint of sweetness on the finish, making them a great option for
those just beginning their rosé journey. Those from the villages of Bourgueil
and Chinon are often 100% Cabernet Franc, delightfully
fruit-driven wines of vibrant pink color and flavors of fresh herbs,
raspberries, currants, even blackberry and jam. Moving inland to the upper
Loire we enter Pinot Noir territory, and many Pinot Noir rôses, blended with
Pinot Gris, Pinot Meunier, or Gamay, designated as generic Touraine
Val de
Loire or Coteaux d’Auvergne provide
delightful quaffing for the budget conscious. The
villages of Cheverny, Noble-Joué, and Saint-Pourçain,
also make Pinot Noir based rosés that are delicious, while the more expensive
100% Pinot Noir rosés of Sancerre are some of the most desirable
of each vintage. With it’s seductive wild strawberry and raspberry aromas and
hints of chalky mineralogy from the limestone soils, Sancerre rosé is a
not-to-be-missed taste experience! Farther east, there is at least one domaine
still producing rosé in the village of Marsannay in Burgundy despite the top-dollar
demand for Pinot Noir.
We can’t talk about
rosé without discussing sparkling wines, so eastward we journey to Reims, in
the heart of Champagne. Although not limited by seasonality as
still rosés are, Rosé Champagne commands higher prices, with the best
commanding hundreds of dollars per bottle. Made from Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier,
and Chardonnay grown on chalky soils, a well made Brut Rosé Champagne exhibits
lean, tart berries and minerality brought to life by effervescence. If you are
looking for value (and who isn’t?) traditional method sparklers from other
areas of France can deliver big bang for the buck - especially watch for Cremant
d’Alsace, Cremant de Loire, and Cremant de Bourgogne.
Whew! Now that we’ve
covered so much ground in France, I’m feeling thirsty… anyone else ready for a
glass or three?
A
Fresh Bouquet of Rosés
Jolie-Pitt
Miraval 2014 Côtes de Provence - $23.99
Caves
d’Esclans Whispering Angel 2014 Côtes de Provence - $21.99
Minuty M de
Provence 2014 Côtes de Provence - $19.99
Monmousseau
2014 Rosé d’Anjou - $11.99
Gerard
Bertrand 2014 Gris Blanc - $11.99
Domaine de
Fenouillet 2014 Ventoux - $13.99
Baronnie de
Coussergues 2014 Pays d’Oc – $7.99
La Manarine
2014 Côtes du Rhone - $15.99
Chateau du
Lancyre 2014 Pic Saint-Loup - $18.99
Commanderie de
la Bargemone 2014 Coteaux d’Aix en Provence - $15.99
Domaine Pallus
2014 Messanges du Chinon - $12.99
Lucien
Albrecht Brut Rosé NV Cremant d’Alsace - $17.99
Billecart-Salmon
Brut Rosé NV Champagne - $79.99
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