C. Donatiello Rosé

Last fall I had the opportunity to visit C. Donatiello Winery at the site formerly occupied by Belvedere, with fellow wine bloggers Lenn, Sonadora, Spoon, Joe, Thea, Nick, and Patrick. Chris presented us with an awesome flight of his estate Chardonnays and Pinot Noir. The Rosé which I had not tasted before last night, was a parting gift which I brought home and tucked away to save for warmer weather. Last night, I decided to follow Sonadora's advice and open it with bbq chicken wings, cornbread and cole slaw.


C. Donatiello
Rosé

Vintage: 2007
AVA: Russian River Valley
Alcohol: 14.5 %

Color: rose
Intensity: medium
Aromas: pine nut, orange blossom, strawberry
Flavors: raspberry, strawberry, mandarin, vanilla
Body: light
Acidity: moderate
Sweetness: dry
Finish: moderate

Summary: C. Donatiello specialized in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir so, this Rosé is likely made from Pinot Noir grapes. Upon opening the bottle, I instantly recognized the aroma of Sonoma. It has very enticing notes of cream which sink back into citrus and pine nut. The flavor is somewhat citrus forward finishing with sparkling raspberry and strawberry notes. The alcohol content is surprisingly high--tasting it, I would not guess that it was above 13.5%. This wine pairs nicely with food with plenty of palate-cleansing acidity. Unfortunately, the winery does not sell their Rosé but if you stop by in person, you might be able to sample it.

Pink and Meaty (Like Turkey!)

Oh boy, it's time for the agonizing over what wine to serve with turkey again! What is it about turkey that makes us sweat the wine pairing? Is it just the combination of white and dark meat on the same carcass? The hefty weight of tradition, perhaps? Or, maybe it's just the anticipation of impending scrutiny. Will you serve the old standby Beaujolais Nouveau? Or, something more trendy, like a Pinot Noir? I cannot advise you in such delicate matters. In some cases, lives may be at stake.

Speaking of white meat/dark meat, last month in Sonoma County I tried a dry Rosé of Sangiovese. It kind of made me think of turkey actually: It had the firm richness of a Sangiovese, and the juiciness of a Rosé. Okay, time to talk turkey:

Alexander Valley Vineyard

Vintage: 2007
AVA: Alexander Valley, Sonoma County
Alcohol: 13.8%
Price: $12
Aromas: Peach, vanilla, amaretto
Flavors: Grapefruit zest, peach, melon

Would have liked to spend more time with this wine than I did but, there were about 50 others to taste. It has nice aromas, flavors and mouthfeel and I would definitely buy a bottle or four of this Rosé for a relaxed family gathering over an ecclectic holiday spread.

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.

WBW #48 - Going Back to my Roots.

Taster B usually handles the WBW, but I couldn’t resist doing one of my own. In the wine store, we were trying to decide what to buy. California Chardonnay seemed to be a common ground, but I cut my teeth before the influence of oak. Taster B was reaching for something buttery.

My thoughts were that going back to my wine roots may be like being like going back to high school. I've moved on to bigger and better things. Besides, the only time I go back to my high school is in a bad dream where I usually find myself in math class unprepared for the final exam and I’ve blown off all semester. But going back to my wine roots may be philosophically easier than going back to high school.

In my wine youth, I wasn’t married to a particular style of wine. It just had to be affordable for a graduate student living on a few hundred per month. I didn’t like cheap wine, but I did have a jug of Carlo Rossi Chablis in the fridge at all times. This was mainly for cooking chicken, white pasta sauces and worked well as a marinade with ginger.

I liked good wine and became a master scrounge with an eye for good wine at good prices. So, I could have chosen Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rosé de Anjou, Chardonnay, Chablis, Chianti (in fiascos of course). What to choose? We have lots of Cabs and Merlots already. I did find a Chianti in a fiasco, but I wasn't about to pay $14.00 for bad chianti.

I really had my heart set on going to the basic foundation of my wine experience; Catawba from New York State. But that is like finding a needle in a hay stack. I did find a wine that is close to one of my early wine experiences when my mother and I shared a half bottle of Rosé de Anjou at a restaurant some 25 years ago.



We sourced this wine from Ceres Street Wind Merchants, a store famous for carrying wines that are true to type.

Terrasses
Château Pesquié

Vintage: 2007
Blend: 50% Cinsault, 40% Grenache, 10% Syrah
AVA: Rhone Valley
Alcohol: 13%
Price: $14.99

Color: Scarlet
Intensity: Pale
Aromas: Strawberry, cranberry, kiwi, wet stone, lavender, rose
Flavors: Strawberry, cranberry, pomegranate, citrus zest
Body: light
Acidity: Moderately crisp
Sweetness: Dry
Finish: Moderate

Summary: This is a summertime wine. The back of the bottle says Tasting 45 deg F, Aged 2 years. This has me a little confused as the labeled vintage is 2007. This is a nice dry Rosé that is bright. As the wine warmed up in the glass, there were hints of floral and zest notes. Not overly complex, but definitely refreshing fruit qualities. It stood up well to sun dried tomato and gorgonzola ravioli with red sauce. I thought that it would get lost, but it held its own.

After the glass was emptied and sat for a while, I decided to give it a sniff; rose, unmistakable rose.


The great thing about Rosé is that it will stand up to spicier dishes and be gentle enough for poultry. In the summer, I would serve this with shrimp, pork, brie, lentil salad, salmon, smoked oysters, clams, lobster, crab, anything vegetarian, baked haddock sandwich, squid, rack of lamb…I could go on and on.

A Real Crowd Pleaser

I don't throw backyard parties but, if I did, I'd probably buy a case of this wine to serve to my guests. For one thing, it's too hot right now to be drinking red wine, and at seven bucks a bottle, this wine is very budget friendly. It's pleasant for sipping with it's apricot and nutmeg aromas and citrus/cranberry flavors, and is easy-pairing for a wide variety of foods.
Our first meal with this Côtes du Rhône Le Pas de la Beaume Rosé 2005 was a delicious pasta primavera. Our Rosé performed beautifully; at the same time sturdy (like a red) and refreshing (like a white). The next night, we had it again with a Phở-inspired rice noodle bowl with fresh veggies, basil, and Clay Pot Pork--another nice pairing. This Rosé isn't just a great party wine, it's a great summer 'red.'