Garden Rosé Tasting #1Aside from the pure, unadulterated, 100% joy and bliss that comes from lazing about on the grass on a warm, summer day (I’m still coming out of wintershock), the change of seasons in favour of warmth also means rosé season is upon us.
I make it a personal mission to taste as much pink as possible, unfortunately, my other summertime passion keeps me away from the keyboard. Ah, time, that most fleeting of riches! So, in an effort to pass the word on to all of you pink passionates, here is the first in a weekly tasting of the 2006 SAQ rosé selection against the backdrop of the evolution of an organic vegetable garden.
Editors note: In an effort to maintain a level playing field, all rosés will be drunk under similar conditions:
1. When the ambient temperature is above 18 Celsius (65F)
2. While sitting in the sun
3. Drunk from the same, weed-picking, garden-friendly glassware (in-flight cocktail style).
Garden Update (Tuesday May9)
First signs of life, radish sprouts (see photo above)
Tarragon made it through another winter (photo at left)
Saint Chinian 2005, Clos de L'Orb ($14...saq)
With all the hooplah surrounding the 2005 vintage, our first taste of what many winemakers are calling the 'perfect' year will be via the rosés. This cherry-come-candy-apple hued Saint-Chinian from the excellent Roquebrun co-op is a blend of 65% Syrah and 35% Grenache. The nose is packed with ripe cassis and raspberries, turning towards baies roses and other spicier notes. While I found it a bit too heavy as an aperitif, it was well-balanced, stayed fresh and worked well with the curry-tamari-honey marinated chicken brochettes.
2006 Ranking: #1 0f 1
3 comments:
Right now, I need nothing more than your frequently-updated rosé rankings. This is great! Trusted and timely rosé reviews are so hard to come by. (It's also nice to know that all of this is helping your garden grow.)
I love that Roquebrun white. Good to know they produce a reliable pink wine too.
nice to follow evolution in a garden so far away - ours needs still some serious weed-picking before planting tomatoes, peppers and all the other summer vegetables.
We're always a bis late for the garden, because we are in the wines first... and we don't feel enough "in summer" yet to start rosé drinking. You must remember that we are in the South of France, so temperature has to raise a bit more, before we feel "summerly". But Roquebrun is just a few kilometers south along the Orb valley, so it will be easy to find their pink when time has come.
Marcus...I hope to do you proud..it's a sacrifice but I will try and face the task like a man..a real thirsty man.. and the Roquebrun white ages wonderfully (2 or 3 years does wonders)
Iris,
Ah yes, weeds... We cannot plant tomatos and peppers for another coupel of weeks (derniere gel...1 Juin)... We canadians don't need alot to put us in the mood for rosé..after a 5 months of cold and snow.. a little sun, a little green grass and away we go!
Bonne chance avev votre printemps!
Bill
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