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

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 simply a blend of red wine and white wine. The second, which is widely practiced around the world, is called the “Saignée Method” where shortly after red grapes are crushed, 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 singular idea of making rosé in mind. True Rosés are therefore not a byproduct of red wine production (like saignées), they are intentionally or purposefully made. They are True Rosés.

I have been fortunate enough to be on a few press trips due to this little blog and thus I have visited numerous wine regions with other members of the media. Many of them have become friends and I look forward to reconnecting when we are paired once again on a trip or at a tasting.

There is one aspect of this familiarity that is a bit of a pain in the rear, however. Whenever I taste a new (to me) rosé, I always ask whether it is a True Rosé or not. Why? I’ll get to that below. It becomes a pain in the rear because the other wine writers in the group (at least those who know me) let out a collective groan as if to say “Here he goes, again.”

I never ask, but my question to those other writers (and PR people for that matter) is “Why aren’t you asking this question??”

I am about to go into the weeds of wine writing/wine geekdom here, so if you would rather not end up with a headache, skip the section below in BLUE.

In general, wine writers want to know about all aspects of wine production from the broad (e.g., what grape varieties are used) to the ridiculously sublime (not just if oak is used, but American or French [or Hungarian, etc.], what “toast” [the amount of charring done to the barrel] is applied, even the particular effing forest from whence came the trees).

But I have never heard a single writer (other than me) ask about how a particular rosé was made (I know this for a fact since had someone else asked, I would have dropped to a knee and proposed on the spot, regardless of gender or either of our individual marital statuses).

The same is not true when the discussion turns to sparkling wine and most people want to know the method used. Specifically, writers (and therefore their readers) want to determine whether the given wine was made using the “traditional method” (i.e., it was made in the same fashion as champagne) or not.

That does not seem to be the case when it comes to rosé, for whatever reason, which is too bad for the simple fact that those winemakers who make an intentional rosé (again, what I call a “True Rosé”) tend to be pretty darned enthusiastic about it. And, let’s not forget, that True Rosés tend to be better than their saignée counterparts.*

*Here I insert my regular disclaimer that there are many fine saignées out there (including one of my favorite rosés, the Tongue Dancer Rosé of Pinot Noir) but all things being equal, a rosé made with intention will be better than one that is a byproduct of red wine production.

OK. Enough geekiness.

A couple of weeks ago, our intrepid group tried 52 American Rosés on a sweltering Saturday, trying to find the best. As promised, I am publishing my actual notes from the tasting, which we tasted in 13 flights of 4 wines. Here is the last set of two flights.

2024 Michael-David Vineyards Rosé, Lodi, CA: Retail $22. Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot. Light pinkish-orange in the glass with an inviting nose of melon and strawberry. Tart and fruity on the palate, even really tart. But this works and works well. Probably could use some food here, but this is Outstanding. 93 Points.

*2023 Kleinlerer Wines Cinsault Cuvée Sacha & Nitza, Lodi, CA: Retail $27. Light color, even closer to straw than pink with a flinty and muted strawberry on the nose. Rich and layered, the fruit seems to have certainly faded but this is still a viable wine and I like it. Excellent. 90 Points.

**2023 Daou Vineyards Rosé, Paso Robles, CA: Retail $18. 100% Grenache. Light, on the verge of medium color. Over-ripe melon, a bit of oxidation, and a sweetness on the nose. Rich and layered, sweet and unctuous. It could use a slight boost in acid, but there are really some great flavors here. Excellent. 90 Points.

2024 Covenant Red C Rosé, Lodi, CA: Retail $35. 100%(?) Grenache. Light color with an intense nose, rich and concentrated. The palate is rich and layered with good acidity and flair. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2024 Lange Rosé of Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $30. Very light in color, just the slightest pink. Earthy, muddled fruit on the nose and the palate, with the palate winning between the two; good fruit and tartness, I am coming around on this wine. OK, me likey. A lot. Excellent. 92 Points.

*2022 Covenant Red C Rosé, Lodi, CA: Retail $30. Grenache, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. Light color, with a slight caramel/oxidized nose, lean and tart on the palate, this really works. I am guessing there is some age here as the fruit is not really there, but everything else is. It works for me. Excellent. 91 Points.

2024 Fairsing Vineyard Pinot Noir Rosé, Yamhill-Carlton, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $36. Fairly light in color, but the nose has an old soul character. A bit sherried, caramelized with that theme continuing to the palate. Again, this works for me, but it is certainly not “fresh”. And that’s OK. (Come to find out, it was aged a bit in neutral French oak.) Excellent. 90 Points.

2024 Dominio IV Viognier no. 63 inverse “Coyote the Trickster”, Oregon: Retail $38. 80% Viognier, 20% Syrah, co-fermented. More of a light red than a rose. With an intense cherry and perhaps cranberry. Really nice fruit on the palate, impressive even, and the acidity is there, too, although a bit hidden behind all that fruit. Excellent. 91 Points.

Flights 1-3        Flights 4-6     Flights 7-9     Flights 10-11

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!