mordoree

PINK II: ROSE REPORT

Truth be told, I wasn’t enthusiastic about 2020 as a rose vintage early on. Somehow they didn’t seem to possess the meat or the moxie of the better vintages. As time has passed, however, they have come together and gained depth beyond expectations.

The tariffs caused things to got off to a late start on imported rosés, and the subsequent shipping backlog has delayed arrivals even further not only to us, but to the reviewers as well. So there aren’t a lot of notes out there right now on pink wines, but we suspect they’ll be along. But we found plenty of tasty things to present so enjoy…

Chateau de Pampelonne Cotes de Provence 2020-We’ve had the Cotes de Provence in the lineup several times over the last couple of decades. It is the exemplary version of Provence rose, bright, fresh, versatile and well priced (that last one is particularly relevant). This vineyard, with a view of the Mediterranean, was first planted after World War I and the estate dates back to the mid-1800s. The blend here is 40% Grenache, 30% Cinsualt, 20% Syrah and 10% the unique, historic grape Tibouren.

Maybe it was just a good day, but this one struck us as one of the more engaging efforts from this historic chateau. The traditional red berry fruit is the central theme but floral notes, orange, and a little salinity all make their presence felt in the bright, appealing blend. A crowd-pleasing choice for under $20.

La Remise de Morderee Vin de France 2020 – We’ve got our Mordoree two ways this time around. The La Remise de Mordoree Rose 2020 has that classic Mordoree style but a different profile because of the unusual combination of grapes here, 40% Grenache, 30% Marselan (Marselan is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache), and 30% Merlot. That is also why it is labelled ‘vin de France’ as some of the grapes aren’t ‘recognized’ for the appellation. In any case, it is a perfectly delightful pink wine, the unique varietals giving the wine a bit more drive to play against some lighter meat dishes (though it’s perfectly fine as an aperitif), and the $15 fare giving you a rather modest entry fee into the highly respected wines of Mordoree.

It’s from 20-year-old vines planted in sand with some clay and, for the record, hand-harvested, destemmed, direct pressed and estate-bottled. Red berries, maybe a little blood orange, some peppery notes, and a lifted, citrusy finish make for an interesting ‘value’ entrant from a top house.

Domaine de la Morderee Cotes-du-Rhone Rose La Dame Rousse 2020-Always a favorite around here, we select different offerings from among their roses every year but there is always Mordoree on the shelf. The Dame Rousse Cotes du Rhone is the traditional ‘workhorse’ of their rose lineup (they make five) and not far behind their Tavel qualitatively and in under $20 as well (the Tavels are $35-45 these days). Grenache leads the blend at 40% with the rest 35% Syrah, 15% Cinsault, 5% Carignan, and 5% Mourvedre farmed organically and harvested from a variety of terroirs.

A little more weight and density here, with strawberry and red melon the main thrust of the flavors with blood orange, floral aromas, savory herbs and some mineral notes. While this is a great producer on several levels, their pinks are definitely ‘blue chips’ of the category.

Bonny Doon Vineyard Vin Gris de Cigare 2020– We have tasted and sold many vintages of this over the years, but this one struck us as a cut above many of the recent renditions. The blend, from five different Central Coast AVAs, seems scattered but the wine is anything but. The mix is 71% Grenache, 11% Cinsault, 5% Clairette, 5% Grenache Blanc, 4% Mourvedre, and 4% Vermentino and the interplay of this wide varietal range presents juxtaposing impressions of berries, white stone fruit, and citrus with accents of savory spice. This is California rose with a definite French accent that comes together in an appealing way, with an engaging juicy core and snappy highlights. A high point in this series, it shows Randall Grahm still takes the project seriously.

Unlike a lot of Euro pinks that were, until recently, stuck on boats, this one has a nice review from Josh Reynolds at Vinous, “Light, shimmering orange. Fresh red berry and citrus fruit aromas are complemented by suggestions of candied rose and pungent herbs. Silky and open-knit, showing good depth to the raspberry, cherry and bitter orange pith flavors. Tightens up slowly on a long, spice-inflected finish that leaves a gently sweet red fruit note behind…90 points.”

Domaine La Roncalier Tavel Rose 2020– Typically one of the better values among the now trendy Tavels, the 2020 La Rocaliere is a great representation of the concentrated, punchy style that caused people to take notice of it in the first place. The estate, which dates back to 1995 owns 20 ha in both Tavel and Lirac. The Tavel holdings traverse three different terroirs, those differences adding complexity to the blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, and 10% Syrah.

One of the deeper colored ‘pinks’ on the shelf (leaning towards ruby), the visual gives you notice that this will be a more substantial rose in the glass. Weighty and fresh at the same time, there’s abundant cherry and strawberry fruit laced with a stony minerality and violet notes.

Los Arrotos del Pendon Leon 2020– Yeah, we know we have complained that it seems everybody is trying to get into the action with rose. But when someone as accomplished as Raul Perez does it, you have to pay attention. Of course, it is a rose born of Raul’s singular vision. It’s from 100% Prieto Picudo from very old vines in stony clay at high-altitude (over 2500 ft above seal level). Macerated for two days on the skins before bleeding off, fermented with only indigenous yeasts in stainless steel, raised on the fine lees for four months in tank, then bottled without fining or filtration, it’s the kind of outside-the-box creation one expects from Perez.

So where’s Leon? Everywhere, it seems. It’s a huge area that stretches across northwestern Spain from Rioja to the Portuguese border and most of the way from Madrid to the north and includes Ribera del Duero and Toro. So it’s anybody’s guess where Raul found this vineyard of old Prieto Picudo. Preito Picudo is indigenous to the region and relatively rare and yields darkly colored reds.

This wine itself is reminiscent of a wine we sold years ago from Australia from Charles Melton. It is unapologetically dark rose, probably better described as ‘light red’ rather than ‘pink’. It has a rich center and weighty feel for a rosé but there is sneaky, well-embedded acidity to give it the necessary lift. This wants to be red wine and the flavors are more vinous than most in the category, yet the texture is smooth and slippery. Dark melon, mulberry, restrained minerality and a hint of wild herb, this is a substantial and delicious addition to the lineup this year. Of course we have come to expect that sort of thing from Raul.

ROSE TIME: THE ‘LATE’ SHOW

We are now in the throes of summer and there are still a lot of boats that haven’t landed as yet. But we are pretty happy with what we do have and feel our lineup going forward is as good as it has been in any recent season. The notable exception is some of the stalwarts from Kermit Lynch that we have carried for years. To their credit, Kermit was one of the first companies to shut down to protect employees when the pandemic started in earnest and have been the most cautious in getting back to ‘normal’, whatever that is these days. This will likely be our last ‘comprehensive’ report but you never know.

Tibouren Rosé Cotes de Provence 2019-This rose is produced by the cooperative Vignobles du Ramatuelle, a group comprised of 120 growers in Provence, to the specifications of the American importer. Produced from grapes from ten different parcels across Provence, the blend here is 85% Tibouren, 12% Grenache and 3% Syrah. So what’s Tibouren? Briefly, it is a grape variety largely associated with Provence these days that was introduced by Greek settlers to the region a very long time ago. It’s origins are beleived to be Greece or possibly even the Middle East. It isn’t widely planted because it is kind of fussy and yields vary. You rarely see varietally labelled bottlings but the importer definitely had this in mind.

As roses go, this isn’t one to serve casual wine drinkers. It’s quite tasty but rather ‘geeky’ stuff. The color is more of a copper/salmon, the fruit flavors lean more apricot and orange than berries, there is a savory spice note and a soily undercurrent. Again this one comes alive with food where it has something solid to play off of. Definitely not grandma’s rose but an intriguing choice for the adventurous palate.

Commanderie de Peyrassol Cotes de Provence Rosé 2019– This house is one of the more highly reputed in the region, this partcular bottling being “Cinsault, Syrah and Grenache make a balanced trio full of fruity flavors, nicely sharpened with a touch of Mourvèdre.” They go to the trouble of harvesting at night to protect the freshness of the fruit and get it into stainless steel right after destemming. The color is a very light salmon leaning a little orange and the flavors here are a bright, lively mix of tropical fruits and citrus (more orange than anything) with expressive floral notes. Tasting it one might have guessed there were some white grapes in the mix but that was not the case. A delicate but engaging offering.

Chateau Peyrassol Cotes de Provence Rosé 2019– This is the ‘reserve’ bottling for Peyrassol sourced from 35 year-old-vines on the property. The ‘main characters’ are Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah, but the ‘wild card’ in the “Chateau” bottling is Tibouren, the ancient and regal Provencal grape. Again this has more of a ‘white wine’ texture though there is more red fruit character (strawberry) to go along with the blood orange, a little more palate density and more perceptible dusty minerality. A ‘classic’ Provencal pink.

La Mordoree Cotes du Rhone Rosé La Dame Rousse 2019 – This house has been a favorite around here for a long time, and the 2019 is a top effort in recent memory. A denser, darker, more ‘red winey’ Rose, the mix here is 40% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 15% Cinsault, 5% Carignan, and 5% Mourvèdre of grapes that were grown organically, harvested by hand, and destemmed. This is a heartier pink, the deep rose color an indicator of more palate weight and earthier undercurrents. One of the few pinks with any press thus far, Jeb Dunnuck gave this one a 92 with comments, “…elegance and purity as well as complexity. Giving up notions of ripe strawberries, cherry blossoms, white flowers, and a kiss of minerality, it’s a beautifully textured, medium to full-bodied, incredibly balanced effort that actually has a touch more richness than the Tavel, although both are rich, textured rosés geared for the table.”

Chateau de Segries Tavel Rosé 2019-We have played the Segries card a few times over the years but don’t recall a better one than this. Deep color again, ‘red wininess’, denser texture, evident Tavel minerality, this is one of the more authoritative pinks on the shelf. Produced via saignee from 50% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 10% Syrah, and 10% Clairette (a white grape) from vines averaging 60 years of age, this is a fairly substantial rose that boasts freshness but also weight as pink wines go. It caught the attention of Vinous’ Josh Raynolds, who handed it a 91, with comments, “Deep orange-pink. Powerful aromas of ripe red berries, cherry, blood orange and nectarine, plus a hint of lavender emerging in the background. Palate-staining raspberry, bitter cherry and tangerine flavors develop a sweetening touch of honey. Chewy and expansive on the persistent finish, which repeats the pit fruit and floral notes.” It’s a ‘fave’ around our house and even stands up to meat. A great effort for the price, particularly among Tavels.

La Bastide Blanche Bandol Rosé 2019– One of the best buys you will find for a Bandol as well as a brighter, more forward example of a genre that is a little bit of an acquired taste because it is based on Mourvedre, a notoriously fussy grape. It does well in these limestone soils with plenty of sunshine and, because it ripens well here, offers of a more forward, charming version of the grape. Low yields and organic farming play a part in the process. In this version the red berry and blood orange fruit are more forward with the underlying minerality, garrigue notes and seaside salinity playing subtle supporting roles. This is a great introduction to Bandol because it delivers the true character of the appellation without extremes. Another superb food choice but it’s also a Bandol you can just haul off and drink.

Cavalchina Bardolino Chiaretto 2019-Cavalchina has been on our shelves in various colors over the years…red, white, and pink. They are a quality producer in the Veneto that makes consistently exciting wines in a place that, by and large, is mainly seen as the source of mass marketed, innocuous efforts from wine ‘factories’ destined for red-checkered tablecloth eateries…Bardolino. The Cavalchina folks are shining stars in a region that is largely uninspired. The Chiaretto (key-ar-et-to) is what they call their rosé. This is a winery that has been around since 1948 and Vinous Media’s Ian D’Agata calls them, “…a recognized master in the making of Chiarettos.”

Last year’s was a serious hit and the 2019 is even better. A blend of 60% Corvina, 35% Rondinella, and 5% Molinara, it is a lively, bright display of berry, red melon, and citrus, light in color and light on its feet with the requisite touches of fresh wild herbs and finishing salinity. As you might expect, it is particularly food friendly.

PINK WINE TIME: PART 2

Muga Rioja Rosado 2018 -This one just rolled in, making it a little late to the ‘party’ but the distinctive styling and lifted freshness make this a fine summer quaff and the pricing has made it a consistent favorite over the last few seasons. This is made as a rose (as opposed to being the result of a saignee or bleeding of red grapes) and the blend is 60% Garnacha,
30% Viura and 10% Tempranillo. The usage of the white Viura gives this rose some impressions of white stone fruits like white peach to go along with the more traditional berry flavors. Lifted, fresh, and very food-friendly, this is another value performer.

Terrebrune Bandol Rosé 2018 –As we spoke about the Pradeaux in part 1 of this rosé focused piece, we mentioned that the 2017 may have been our favorite of the lot for that vintage. In the 2018 lineup, this could well be the MVP (Most Valuable Pink). These folks have been doing great work for a while but the 2018 just seems to have a little bit more ‘pop’ and vigorous yet engaging fruit. As is the norm, Mourvedre (50%) is the star of this show with the other half of the wine is split roughly equally between Grenache and Cinsault. Half of the juice is saignee (bled from the red grapes) while the other half is made directly into rosé. Limestone and organic farming are key elements in this story, with this pink as the happy ending. Equal impressions of both berries and yellow stone fruits like peach and apricot, that cool, funky little twist is the Mourvedre speaking its piece, and there’s a nice touch of minerality to the finish.

La Mordoree Cotes du Rhone Rosé 2018-This family winery has been a Winex favorite for a long time and this is the entry-level bottling among 4-5 different rosés that can range up to $50. We like this one because it gives the Mordoree experience at the most attractive price, and this 2018 is the most engaging we have had in some time. Their pinks have a huge following and for good reason. This version is made up of 40% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 15% Cinsault, 10% Carignan, and 5% Mourvedre. In the glass the Grenache appears to be the lead singer, delivering a broad, juicy blast of decidedly red berry fruit. It’s rounder in the mouth than some but still maintains plenty of freshness and finishes with a touch of garrigue. Far too easy to drink and a strong choice for under $20.

Leoube Rosé Cotes De Provence 2018 –Our lineup of pinks changes every year based on our tastings, so it is important to note that Leoube has been on the roster five of the last six vintages since we first discovered it. Though it doesn’t make much of a point of it, the folks that bought the Chateau in 1997 made their money in organic groceries. Also the property is located next to one of the top sites for the famous Domaine Ott. As a matter of fact, Jean-Jacques Ott of Domaine Ott wanted to sell his property but still wanted to stay in the business. The new owners of Leoube just so happened to be looking for a winemaker at the exact same moment. So, Jean-Jacques and his son Romain head over to Leoube after selling their eponymous property to Roederer Champagne and boom, magic. Now, father and son Ott work the vineyards and make the wine at their next-door neighbor. A crisper and more delicate style with a pale salmon hue, it is mainly Grenache and Cinsault with bits of Syrah and Mourvedre. Light, dry, fresh, berries, apricot, and citrus, and a touch of salinity in the finish, it is quite civilized.

Nervi Conterno Il Rosato Piedmont 2018-You can make rose out of anything, as the market continues to prove. But not all of those efforts are compelling. But there are a few cases where a non-mainstream example shines brightly. We have seen rose of Nebbiolo before, but not very many and not very often. The way this one came out, there might be a lot more folks trying their hand at it, though hitting this mark will be no picnic. The grapes come from the Nervi estate in Gattinara that was acquired by the Giacomo Conterno estate, hand-harvested with the intent to make a pink wine, fermented in stainless steel and then exposed to the lies for four months. Made from 90% Nebbiolo and 10% Uva Rara, this has an inviting nose of melon, berry, wild herbs and that perfumy floral aspect that is Nebbiolo. Deceptively broad on the palate, with plenty of energy underneath, this delivers in an aperitif scenario but has enough substance to play with some meat and sausage dishes. A 91 score from vinous. A cool diversion in pinks.