This past weekend, I invited a few wine professionals here in Houston to my house for what I believe to be the largest blind tasting of American True Rosés, This year we tasted 52 wines, which was a bit less than last year’s 64,  (two years ago there were 53,  three years ago there were 51, four years ago, we had 68, five years ago we tasted 74, in 2019 there were 54, 68 in 2018, and the first year we had 36), while maintaining physical distance (for the most part).

What is a “True Rosé”?

Well, there are essentially three ways to make a rosé wine. The first, which is rarely practiced outside of sparkling wine production, is a simple blend of red wine and white wine. The second, which is widely practiced around the world, is called the Saignée Method where shortly after a red grape crush, a portion of the grape juice (after brief contact with the skins) is bled off (“saigné” means “bled” in French).  This bled off wine is then vinified as if it were a white wine.

The third option is what I call a “True Rosé.” In this process, the grapes are raised, picked, and processed with the intention of making rosé. True Rosés are therefore not a byproduct of red wine production, they are intentionally or purposefully made. They are True Rosés.

As I have stated before, there are some very good saignées out there. In fact, one of the Top Five wines last year was a saignée. Make no mistake about it, though, a saignée is a by-product of red wine production. Red wines get almost all of their character (i.e., flavors, depth, tannins) from their contact with the skins, seeds, and at times, stems during the maceration period.

Early on in that process, about 10-20% of the juice is bled off (saignée) so that the remaining juice has a higher skin-to-juice ratio, thus further concentrating the flavors, depth, and tannins of the red wine. Not long ago (20 years-ish), that bled-off juice was sold as bulk wine or simply dumped down the drain.

The Provençaux take everything about rosé seriously, particularly the color (mandarine, mango, cantaloupe, peach, pomelo, red currant).

A few enterprising winemakers realized that the liquid with a pink hue could be saved, vinified, bottled, and sold as a rosé. Brilliant! (On a side note, today, at least a few winemakers add water back to the reduced juice, thus effectively producing another 20% from the vineyard, but that is for a future post.)

The problem, in my view, is simple: those grapes were grown to be red wine. That means, in general, they were higher in sugar and lower in acidity than would be grapes grown with the purpose of becoming a rosé wine.

Since the vast majority of rosés are vinified like a white wine, which does not derive much (if any) character from the skins, the wines require plenty of fruit and acidity (what many call “freshness”). If the juice comes from grapes that have higher pH (i.e., lower acidity), that key element is lacking. (Another side note: many saignées are made from highly acidic grapes, like Pinot Noir, and thus can make a solid rosé despite the above limitations.)

Last Saturday, we tried 52 American Rosés on Saturday, trying to find the best. As promised, I am publishing my actual notes from the tasting, which we tasted in 13 flights of four wines. Here is the second set of three flights.

**2023 Bread & Butter Rosé, California: Retail $16. Barbera, Grenache and Muscat. Salmon orange in the glass. Odd nose, somewhat astringent, reminiscent of an orange wine. The palate is odd as well, quite weighty and rich but this is different. Not sure what to think. The palate is big and bold, certainly “muscular” in this lineup. I would certainly drink this, say, at a party, but I don’t think I would seek it out. Very Good. 88 Points.

2024 Matanzas Creek Winery Rosé of Malbec, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $45. 100% Malbec. Bright, fruity (raspberry, watermelon), and fun, this is truly a delicious nose. Yum. The palate is bright and tasty as well, but the fruit is a bit more subdued than the nose did portend. Still, very nice balance with a zingy acidity; this is fantastic. Excellent. 92 Points.

*2023 Covenant Red C Rosé Lodi, Lodi, CA: Retail $35. Very Responsible Bottle (500g; 17.6oz). “A blend of Grenache, Pinot Noir, and Syrah.” Almost golden in the glass, not much pink at all. A nose that I initially couldn’t quite place, certainly not red fruit, more of a melon vibe here. The palate is also a bit different with, passion fruit, that melon, and a nutty note on the finish. Nice acidity. Very Good. 88 Points.

2024 King Estate Pinot Noir Rosé, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $20. Under screwcap. Medium pink color in the glass, with ample fruit (under-ripe red berry, melon) and a nutty note on the nose. Good acidity on the palate, but the fruit struggles to make an appearance. It does, if briefly, on the mid-palate, but slinks away again on the finish. Still, a solid effort. Very Good. 89 Points.

2024 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Rosé Avant Garde, Carneros, CA: Retail $32. A light pinkish-orange color in the glass with a classic rosé nose of subtle red fruit (wild strawberry) and a floral aspect (red rose petal). Fantastic on the palate as well, a bit round initially but the acidity comes in on the mid-palate, providing wonderful balance to the wine. Fruity, fun, and complex but also quite quaffable. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2024 Girasole Vineyards Rosé, Mendocino County, CA: Retail $20. Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Pinot Noir. Very light pink in the glass with an extremely shy nose initially, but as it warmed slightly, great red fruit (strawberry and cherry) emerged with a lovely floral aspect. Subtle on the palate as well, but, again, as it warmed ever-so-slightly the fruit emerged to balance out the lovely tartness. This is fantastic. Balanced, tart, and delicious. I would buy this in a heartbeat. Outstanding. 95 Points.

*2023 Pisoni Family Vineyards Lucy Rosé of Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, CA: Retail $24. Very Responsible Bottle (491g; 17.3oz). Light to medium color with a bit of a dirty nose with some wild strawberry and a definite tang on the nose. Rich and fruity, big and lively on the palate, too. This is a rich and intense wine that seems to embrace its American heritage. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2024 Calafia Pinot Noir The Princess, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $30. Medium to dark color in the glass. Quite shy on the nose initially, as I was not really anything from the glass. After it warmed, slightly, lovely red fruit and a mineral note. The palate, though, was rich and luscious from the jump and it was all about the fruit. Some nice acidity through the mid-palate, and an above-average finish. Nice. Outstanding. 93 Points

*2023 La Crema Pinot Noir Rosé, Monterey, CA: Retail $25. Quite light in color in the glass with a lovely, classical nose of wild strawberry and red rose. Beautiful on the palate as well with great fruit and minerality. For me, this is a classic rosé, fruit, acidity, balance, verve; it has it all. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2024 WillaKenzie Estate Rosé, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $30. 94% Pinot Noir 6% Pinot Meunier. A light bubblegum pink in the glass with a luscious nose of perfumed fruit (strawberry and cherry) and a touch of minerality. Just a beautiful nose. Great fruit, even really great fruit on the palate with a tartness to match. Outstanding. 96 Points.

2024 Balverne Pinot Noir Forever Wild, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $24. Light salmon/pink, even really light in the glass. We have another fantastic nose here, with lovely red fruit (strawberry, cherry) but certainly on the shy side. The palate is subtle, too, but fabulous, leaning more toward tart than fruity, but this is a really nice rosé. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2024 Rodney Strong Pinot Noir Rosé, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $25. Very light cotton candy color with a subtle nose as the wine was once again, too cold. Eventually, lovely red fruit was coaxed out of the glass, albeit subtle. The palate has nice fruit and fantastic acidity, and the two remain in concert throughout. This is a stellar wine in a flight of stellar wines. Quite tasty. Whoa. Outstanding. 96 Points.

Note: Wines with one asterisk (*) were second bottles from last year’s tasting. Wines with two asterisks (**) I actually purchased to include in the tasting.

More coming soon!