Rosé de Saignée

pinkish of bleed. Thank you freetranslation.com! To me the term conjures up images of dainty rows of perfect pink bleeding hearts in a dewy garden (photo credit: www.lakebethany.com).

Tonight it was our pleasure to sample a Rosé de Saignée. "Saignée" refers to the method known as bleeding used to derive this particular type of pink wine. Rather than trying to describe it here, allow me to point you to a wonderfully informative description of the process.

Bergerie de l'Hortus

Rosé de Saignée
Appellation: Coteaux du Languedoc Contrôlée
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $14.99
Grapes: Syrah 61%, Grenache 16%, Mourvèdre 23%
Aromas: Why spoil your fun?


Summary: This is a Rosé drinkers' Rosé. Beautifully balanced and subtly complex with beguiling aromas of warmth. Like a toasty and nutty Bit O' Honey that's been warming in your hip pocket. Or, perhaps like tropical rain on a Tahitian Gardenia. Or, the smell of warm skin. Oh, I could go on and on. And that is to say nothing of the fruit: strawberry, peach, fig, passion fruit, lemon zest, appleseed...the list goes on. The flavors echo the aromas with an overarching citrus theme. The last sip from my glass tastes cool and fresh--like a lemon-mint sorbet. Ahhhh...

I suppose I've been suffering lately from a sort of wine lassitude. Yes, it's all been quaffable: Pleasant aromas, good with food, blah, blah, blah. Here finally is a summer wine that, for me offers enough dimension to support the sensory journey that is my whole reason for drinking wine. Oh, and it's good with food too.