WineLovers Discussion Group

Can't find a cheap rose I like. I want crisp and tangy, no strawberry, and lingering on the palate. $10 or so. A good Bandol is my prototype, or Mas de Gourgonnier (sp?), but, sadly, can't afford either. TIA.

How cheap is cheap? The Mas de Gourgonnier is only about $11.
Going to single digits, I liked the Chivite rosado (I think I thought strawberry, but not frivolous strawberry.
I didn't much care for Muga, but it is cheap.

Where are you getting the Gourgonnier for $11? It's $16 at my local store...

I either got at Varmax or Astor.

Looks like tons of places on east coast for $10-12. But over $15 everywhere on west coast. Different importers? Mine's a Skurnik. Sounds like a wholesale issue.

Here are some very brief notes from a Rose' tasting our group did last summer.

The blind tasting for the evening included 8 bottles of French Rose' (7 from the 2004 vintage and 1 from 2003), plus 1 bottle of domestic non-vintage wine. Unfortunatley, the domestic wine (McCrea Cellars Vin Rose' from WA) was heavily oxidized and not drinkable. This was a big disappointment, because several of us had tasted it in the past and liked it quite a bit. It would have been interesting to see how it compared to the French wines in this blind tasting. I don't recall exactly, but I believe we had 12 tasters turn in their score sheets that night.

Three of the French wines were from the Bandol, which is known for its excellent Rose' wines. Surprisingly, they finished in 6th-7th-8th places; this included a lovely bottle from the renowned Domaine Tempier, the cult wine of the Rose' world. In general, the high-priced bottles rated poorly during the evening, while the three lowest priced wines took top honors. Here are the results, in order of most favored to least:

2004 Mas des Bressades: 29 points (4 first, 2 second, 0 last) A blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Cinsault and 20% Syrah. This wine has an outstanding bouquet, with floral hints reminiscent of Muscat. ($12, Robert Kacher Selections)
2004 Château Grand Cassagne Costieres de Nimes: 40 points (3 first, 3 second, 0 last) A blend of 60% Syrah, 35% Grenache and 5% Mourvedre. This wine probably had the most up-front fruit flavors of all. ($10, Robert Kacher Selections)
2004 Domaine Massamier La Mignarde Cuvee des Oliviers Coteaux des Peyriac: 52 points (0 first, 2 second, 0 last) A blend of 80% Cinsault, 10% Syrah and 10% Grenache; reddish-pink color. ($9)
2004 Henri Bourgeois Grande Reserve Sancerre: 55 points (0 first, 2 second, 2 last) Yes, a Sancerre Rose'; and some of us thought all Sancerre wines were white. Blend unknown. ($23)
2004 Commanderie de la Bargemone Coteaux d'Aix en Provence: 56 points (1 first, 1 second, 1 last) A classic blend of Grenache, Cinsaut and Syrah. ($15)
2003 Domaine de Terrebrune Bandol: 58 points (1 first, 1 second, 1 last) Extremely pale with just a hint of pink. Blend unknown, but probably like the other Bandol wines. ($25)
2004 Domaine Tempier Bandol: 62 points (3 first, 0 second, 4 last) A blend of Mourvedre, Grenache and Cinsaut. ($28 )
2004 Château Pradeaux Bandol: 68 points (0 first, 1 second, 2 last) A blend of Mourvedre, Grenache and Cinsaut. ($26)

-- Clark

the perrin cotes du rhone rose '05 or the vieux donjon rose '05 should work well for you

Bob, the best intersection of tangy and cheap seems to be in Spanish and Southern French grenache based roses. There were several last year we were mad about up here--not that I can remember the names, or that we'll see them again.

We're currently in deep like with a syrah rose out of Australia, of all places. It's full of buttered rose petals--tangy but quite dry--with serious structure, and it doesn't need chilling.

Toad Hollow's rose of pinot ($10 up here) didn't offend us last weekend, either.

I haven't been a big rose fan, but have found Bergerie de L'Hortus rose de saignee (Pic St Loup, Ctx de Languedoc) to be one rose that's pretty convincing. According to wine searcher, the 2005 is about 11 or 12 dollars.
cheers, Bonnie

%^)

2005 Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare

From our own Dr. Buckner -
"Very aromatic, with herbs, flowers and cranberries taking the forefront. The wine is rich and well balanced in the mouth, with flavors of red cherries, raspberries and garrigue; 89/90."

From BevMo -
"90 PTS WILFRED WONG. Made from 7 varietals including 27% Syrah and 18% Grenache Blanc, the '05 Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare is a first class dry rose that rivals the best in the world; crisp finish."

From the Pittsburgh Tribune -
"With this wine the dusty, salmon color has fresh, clean aromas of lavendar and black cherries opening to crisp flavors of plums and citrus leavened by zippy acidity and mineral notes for fine balance through the dry finish. Highly recommended."

Kathleen and I haven't tried the '05 yet but in Yuma's 110+ degree Summer weather, it's one of our perennial favorites ...

Clink !

%^)

I absolutely love the Bonny Doon pink cigar. I confess to being a bit if a Randall Grahm nut.

If you prefer French, then the J. Vidal Fleury CduR Rose is a nice non-strawberry affair. Raspberries and cherries at the forefront with a crisp clean finish.

I'm very fond of Bonny Doon's Vin Gris de Cigare as well. Excellent stuff.

Saintsbury some years back did a rose of pinot noir called Vincent Vin Gris. Also excellent stuff. Do they still make it?

-Paul W.

Another vote for the Bonny Doon pink stuff. Thanks for reminding me I'm out.

Mr. Hucko wrote:Can't find a cheap rose I like. I want crisp and tangy, no strawberry, and lingering on the palate. $10 or so. A good Bandol is my prototype, or Mas de Gourgonnier (sp?), but, sadly, can't afford either. TIA.

Tonight we had a bottle of the '05 Dom. de Fondrèche "L'Instant" Cote de Ventoux Rosé, another Kacher import that I got for $10.99 at Sam's. Light, fruity, decent acidity, 12.8% alc. but not heavy. Pretty much what I look for in a rosé (I also like Bandol rosé). Cote de Ventoux in general provides decent Grenache-based rosés at reasonable price. La Vielle Ferme makes a cheaper one, but it has less character than this wine.

Mark Lipton