The Ninth Annual Largest Blind Tasting of American True Rosés–Flights 10-11

A couple of weeks ago, I invited a few writers here in Houston to my house for what I believe to be the largest annual blind tasting of American True Rosés in the country.

What, one might ask, 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 (“saignée” 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 idea of making rosé in mind. True Rosés are therefore not a byproduct of red wine production, they are intentionally or purposefully made. They are True Rosés.

A couple of years ago, a few days before The World’s Largest Blind Tasting of American True Rosés I got into a rather heated argument on Twitter with two Master Sommeliers worlds away (one, who literally wrote a book on rosé, was in the UK and the other, who made a rosé by blending red and white wine [a practice that is practically unheard of outside of Champagne] was in Australia). They both took exception to my use of the term “True Rosé” to characterize an approach to making rosé that otherwise does not have an agreed-upon term to describe it.

As I have mentioned before, the term saignée is largely understood and accepted to describe what a True Rosé is not. (For those just joining, a saignée rosé is a byproduct of red wine production where, after a brief maceration, a portion of the juice is “bled off.” Until relatively recently, that bled-off juice was either sold off as bulk wine or simply let run down the drain. This is done to further concentrate the remaining juice on the skins and today, to make a rather quick rosé. The problem is that the juice was intended to make red wine and is thus often a bit lacking in acidity which is perhaps the defining characteristic of a good rosé.)

Their collective contention? By using the adjective “true” I was inherently implying that all other rosés were “false.” While I understand their position, I tried to explain (and by their responses, it was largely unsuccessful) that the word “true” has many definitions such as an “ideal” (true love) or “consistent” (true to character) or even “narrow” (in the truest sense).

They did not seem swayed by my argument as they remained fixated on “if something is not true, then it must be false.” In a desperate attempt, I mentioned the concept of a bicycle wheel being “true” or “out of true” but that landed like a lead zeppelin.

Look, there are really good, even outstanding saignées out there (one of my absolute favorite rosés is a saignée—Tongue Dancer by James MacPhail), but all other factors being equal, there is no doubt in my mind that rosés that are made intentionally, id est, a True Rosé, are better than those that are byproducts of red wine production.

Feel free to argue with me. Everyone has a right to their own opinion, no matter how wrong it might be.

Getting chilly (hopefully).

A couple of weeks ago, four of us tried 52 American Rosés, 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 are flights 10-11:

*2022 Chehalem Rosé of Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $28. Light to medium color in the glass with a sweet nose of ripe melon and a bit of sweet basil on the nose. Ripe, rich, and full on the palate, this is certainly on the big end of rosé. If you like your pink wines full-bodied and high-octane, here you go. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2024 We Know Jack Zinfandel Rockpile Riff Raff Jack Florence Sr. Vineyard, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $34. Medium color of lovely pinkish-orange and a rich, sweet nose of melon and white flower. Yowza. Another bigger style rosé and this is really well-done. Fruity, tart, layered, yum. Outstanding. 96 Points.

2024 Kendall-Jackson Pinot Noir Jackson Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir, Panorama Vineyard, Arroyo Seco, CA: Retail $35. Light to medium color in the glass, with an interesting nose of Sprite (or is it Mountain Dew?) with a touch of petrol. The palate is more appealing, even tasty, but there is still an odd element that I just can’t place. Very Good. 89 Points.

2024 Cruess Rosé of Grenache, Dry Creek Valley, CA: Retail $25. Really light in the glass, very close to colorless with tree-fruit a go-go, more of a pear than peach on the nose. The palate has nice fruit, but is lacking in enough acidity to keep up with all of the fruit. Very Good. 89 Points.

2024 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Rosé, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $35. Super clear, barely any hue at all in the glass. The classic provençal nose of subtle red fruit and white flower. Wonderful on the palate, just a delight. Sure, it’s subtle and reserved but near impeccable balance with lovely fruit and an acidity that persists for days. Extraordinary. 97 Points.

*2023 Clif Family Winery Grenache Rosé, Mendocino County, CA: Retail $30. Another wine that is really light in color with just a hint of pink. Melon and citrus on the nose, this is really lovely in the glass. Good fruit with an acidity that struggles a tad to keep up, but only a tad. Then the tartness comes zooming in right before the finish. Very nice. Outstanding. 93 Points.

*2023 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Rosé Avant Garde, Carneros, CA: Retail $32. I really liked this at last year’s tasting (94 Points) but it seems to have really tailed off: Light to medium color with nuttiness and a touch of oxidation on the nose. Lacking a bit of fruit on the palate with a touch of astringency on the finish. Very Good. 88 Points. I have found that DC’s rosés really hold up well in subsequent years so this just might be an off bottle?

2024 Van Duzer Pinot Noir Rosé, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $25. Light bubblegum pink in the glass. Peachy and cherry on the nose, but subtle, with just a hint of red flower. Really nice fruit on the palate, too, and a flinty, mineral note that pairs well with the ample acidity. Nice. Excellent. 92 Points.