Lost my rose-colored glasses

S

Steven Spielmann

Steven Spielmann
My friends drink wine. Many of them are just past the "I like red" stage though. My wife and closer friends are getting better. Actually, my wife and I are a great tasting team: I notice things, ask "what's that sort of herbal thing lacing through the lemony fruit?", she pays attention, comes up with a fantastic word like 'verbena' (I think that was for a Truffieres Chablis), and everyone's happy.

But no-one but me in the crew enjoys rose. They'd rather drink a $4 pinot grigio from Trader Joe's.

So I have to drink rose by myself. So far I was 3 for 3 this year: the fantastic, wonderful 1997 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia was in my top five bottles of anything all year. But I also enjoyed a curious Touriga Nacional rose from Quinta da Alorna, and even an '05 Canto Perdrix Tavel I had a few months ago was pleasant.

But alas, last night the streak broke. This one was an '07 CdR "La Dame Rousse" from the Domaine de la Mordoree. I wouldn't say it was bad wine, but it was very forceful and not particularly fruity. Nothing very subtle going on either, about as much by way of minerals as a $10 calicab. Maybe given a few years it would soften a little and become more like the Canto Perdrix I enjoyed, which still wouldn't make it great, but would at least make it pleasant.

So can a person gripe here on his first post?

Maybe to make it a little more productive, I'll ask a question: what are some really interesting roses people have tried that might help me avoid future disappointments? Delicious and fruity is welcome but not necessary; I suppose it's quixotic to search for complexity in a rose, but I guess that's what I'm looking for.
 
very forceful and not particularly fruity. Nothing very subtle going on either, about as much by way of minerals as a $10 calicab..
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I don't know if minerals are to be expected in a Mordoree rose?

But 'forceful and not particularly fruity' sounds curious. If this wine is anything like their other wines it should have plenty of fruit especially if it was forceful. How sensitive are you to TCA?
 
Jura Poulsard/Ploussard.

It isn't really rose, but it is close to it in color and weight, and would definitely fit in your search for complexity.

I would second Seth's suggestion if you don't mind a little residual sugar in your rose. Les Giroflees from Belliviere is a great one. My wife can't stand any sweetness in pink wines, so I have to drink that alone. It usually holds up for a few days in the fridge which helps.
 
Wow! That was quick. Thanks!

The LdH Rosado is one of my wines of the year, so if that's a predictable response around here I've come to the right place. I'll see which of those bottles I can find - didn't know Belleviere made a rose. I've had their "Hommage a Louis Derre" which was good stuff indeed.

Interesting question about TCA. Think it was a synthetic cork though. May have just been too young, as I said, or perhaps the 40% syrah was the problem (I generally don't enjoy syrah, even good ones I've had from Carlei and Jaboulet. I can tolerate it as a mixing grape with grenache generally, but maybe the peppery thing got too well realized somehow.)
 
Charvin Ctes-du-Rhne
Durand & Valentin Chteau de Lancyre Pic Saint-Loup
Parc Frres La Rectorie Collioure Ros Cot Mer
Muga Rioja
 
originally posted by Marc D:
Jura Poulsard/Ploussard.

It isn't really rose, but it is close to it in color and weight, and would definitely fit in your search for complexity.
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I second this, only because I got here late!

I have little use for roses, since it seems 'between' things and can't seem to make up its proper mind about how to act, or what to be. Honestly, the best thing about a rose is the color. But the poulsard is a different breed: a red wine that converses like a rose, but because it has no allusions to being a pink wine, is all the better because for it's purity.
 
originally posted by Steven Spielmann:
Wow! That was quick. Thanks!
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We don't mess around here at Wine Disorder.

If you've got someone else's credit card, try the Valentini Cerasuolo. It's a very formidable pink wine, in quality and price. I saw it on a local wine shop shelf last week for somewhere in the neighborhood of $90 and opted to buy a couple of bottles of closeout Vouvray instead, but maybe the Valentini will be closed out at a less extortionate price after the holiday season.

-Eden (Chateau Simone ros is also worth seeking out and cellaring)
 
The Ameztoi rose is a favorite of mine. All the fun of Txakolina plus all the fun of rose all rolled up in one long bottle.

I also like the Canorgue Rose and the Miraval Rose.
 
I did like the Mordoree Lirac rose, but others did not. It had a muchness about it that I can see not liking, though that certainly would not be absence of fruit.

I'll second Thor's recommendation of Charvin. I had his rose for the first time this summer and it was easily the best I drank while I stayed there. If you bump upon Gigondas roses from Gour de Chaule or Raspail-Ay, I would give them a poke. But I don't see them much here and they may not be worth the price tag they would wind up at here.
 
i found the mordoree rose disappointing at the price point.

paolo de marchi of isole e olena is making delicious wine at his estate proprieta sperino in northern italy. the rose made mostly from nebbiolo is delicious, but maybe hard to find.
 
originally posted by Lee Short:
originally posted by Rahsaan:
And to complete the trio of predictable Disorder answers: Lopez de Heredia Rosado.
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Incomplete still: Marc Angeli's rose is at a whole 'nother level.
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Is or was ? Have not been keeping up lately.

2001 was, indeed, in a class by itself. Especially after it got a touch drier and significantly more complex and floral after a couple of years.
 
Hmph! Completed the roster of predictable Disorder answers indeed. No one has mentioned the Clos Roche Blanche Pineau d'Aunis Ros yet.
 
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