A Rosé Roundup

It’s getting hot here in Texas so it's was time to explore rosés – the classic wine for an outdoor summer meal. Wine Concepts convened an impromptu tasting panel of six thirsty neighbors, opened four different rosés from different regions and put it to a vote.

The wine "contestants" came from the Loire Valley, Provence, Austria (really – that’s not a typo) and Argentina. To avoid any bias against unfamiliar wines, we tasted blind. Mind you, this was not a formal tasting, simply a reaction from a group of knowledgeable wine consumers on what they liked and didn’t like. (Somehow, the criterion of “would you buy this with your own money?” doesn’t show up professional tastings.)

The Wines. Our four “contestants” had noticeably different styles, and drew very strong reactions from the panel.

Château Peyrassol 2018 Cuvée de la Commanderie (about $20 retail). This wine comes from France’s Côte de Provence, and it’s made from a blend of Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre grapes.
Baumard 2017 Rosé de Loire (about $15 retail). It’s made in France's Loire Valley, near Anjou, from a blend of Cabernet Franc and Grolleau grapes. This is a relatively low alcohol wine, at 11.5 percent.
Markowitsch 2018 Rosé (about $13 retail). It’s produced in Austria’s Niederosterreich region (“lower” Austria – which is actually northeast Austria) using 60 percent Zweigelt, 30 percent Blaufrankisch and 10 percent Pinot Noir.
Susana Balbo 2017 Crios Rosé of Malbec (about $13 retail). This wine comes from Mendoza, Argentina, where Susana Balbo is considered one of the most innovative winemakers. It’s made from 100 percent Malbec, and has a deep rosé color – the darkest of the four. This also was a relatively low alcohol wine, at 12 percent.

The ranking system. No 100 point scale for this group – we went straight for the jugular:

↑ I liked it and would buy it.

↓ No thanks, I’ll pass.

⇔ Neutral. I’ll drink it since it’s in front of me, but I’m not spending my money on that.

After the individual ratings, we held a group vote on the favorite wine.

The Verdict.

The winner by a landslide was the Susana Balbo Malbec Rosé.

All six tasters gave it a ↑ , and five of six ranked it as their favorite.
It had notes of strawberry and cherry, and a hint of tannin. This wine had a surprisingly long finish.
Comments included that it had a beautiful color (a deep, vibrant rosé) and that is was a “sophisticated wine.”
This would make a great aperitif, and pair nicely with sushi, fish, or poultry. It also went nicely with sausage and grilled beef, and would be nice with a pepperoni pizza.

The runner up was the Markowitsch Rosé.

Three tasters gave it a ↑ , one gave it a ↓ and two rated it ⇔. One panelist picked it as their favorite.
It had notes of strawberry, but less intense than the Balbo. There was a noticeable but pleasant acidity and a nice spiciness.
The color was medium salmon.

Third place went to the Baumard Rosé de Loire.

Two tasters gave it a ↑ , three gave it a ⇔ and one rated it ↓.
This wine had notes of strawberry and a noticeable but not unpleasant tannin. One panelist described it as harsh.
The color was medium salmon.

Fourth place went to the Château Peyrassol.

Two tasters gave it a ↑ , two gave it a ⇔ and two rated it ↓ .
This wine had a very pale pink color, and displayed subtle notes of strawberry and some minerality.
Comments included that it was bland and pretty neutral. Overall, there was a lack of enthusiasm for this wine.

The wrap up.

Clearly our panel preferred a more intense rosé, as the two top picks were darker in color and had more intense flavors.
The most expensive wines trailed the pack. The Chateau Peyrassol was a nicely made, typical Provence rosé, but that style did not appeal to the panelists. As we moved to darker and more intense wines, the comments became more positive.
Or, was it just that by the time that everyone had tasted four wines they were noticeably happier than when we began?

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