In late May, 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 51 wines, which was one less than last year’s 52, two years ago there were 64,  (in 2023 there were 53,  2022: 51, 2021: 68, 2020: 74, in 2019 there were 54, 68 in 2018, and the first year we had 36).

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.

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 month, we tried 51 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.

2025 Chehalem Pinot Noir Rosé, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $20. Responsible Bottle (470g; 16.5oz). True Rosé. Under screw cap. Pale orange more than rosé, the strawberry and rhubarb took a bit to appear on the nose, but when they did, it quickly became a classic style, at least on the nose. Even better on the palate with plenty of fruit and acidity both. This is a stunner. Outstanding. 95 Points.

*2024 Covenant Red C Rosé, Lodi, CA: Retail $35. Very Responsible Bottle (491g; 17.3oz). True Rosé. Grenache, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. Somewhat pale in color with a fairly fresh nose of melon with some citrus. The palate has some decent fruit, but it is a bit lacking in acidity. Really, this is quite good, I would just like a boost in tartness. Excellent. 91 Points.

**2024 Angeline Winery Rosé of Pinot Noir, California: Retail $18. Very Responsible Bottle (482g; 17.0oz). True Rosé. Bubblegum pinkish-orange with a shy nose, a bit dirty, red fruit. The palate is quite fruity though, with a nice acidity coming through on the mid-palate, ending with a lengthy finish. This is really lovely. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2025 Acquiesce Grenache Rosé Lodi, CA: Retail $35. Heavy Bottle (649g; 22.9oz). True Rosé. 100% Grenache. Bubblegum pink with a sweet, ripe, strawberry nose. Great fruit on the palate and more than enough acidity, this is one of the best wines in the tasting with depth, complexity, Whoa. Outstanding. 95 Points.

*2024 King Estate Pinot Noir Rosé, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $20. Bottle not weighed. True Rosé. Under screwcap. Light to medium pink in the glass with a slight orange tint. Great fruit on the palate, with a flinty minerality that dominates the mid palate. Very nice. Excellent. 92 Points.

2025 Lange Rosé of Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $29. Responsible Bottle (534g; 18.8oz). True Rosé. A bit dirty on the nose of this medium orangish-pink wine with a bit of petrol, curiously. Under-ripe fruit on the palate with a host of acidity, even lip-smackingly so. If you like your rosé really tart (and I do), here you go, this is Outstanding. 93 Points.

**2024 Daou Vineyards Rosé, Paso Robles, CA: Retail $22. Responsible Bottle (552g; 19.5oz). True Rosé?? 86% Grenache Noir, 14% Sauvignon Blanc. Really light in color, more of a slightly dark white with good citrusy fruit, and a touch of minerality. Rich and layered on the palate, much more vinous than your average rosé, with plenty of weight and length. Wonderful. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2025 Acquiesce Cinsaut Rosé, Lodi, CA: Retail $35. Heavy Bottle (646g; 22.8oz). Trué Rosé. 100% Cinsault. Light pink-ish in color but really expressive on both the nose and the palate. Tons of fruit, great tartness, and really well balanced. This might be, no, it is, gang-busters. Outstanding. 95 Points.

*2024 Dominio IV Viognier no. 63 inverse “Coyote the Trickster”, Oregon: Retail $38. True Rosé (Kind of. “The Viognier is pressed and the Syrah is a whole-berry carbonic float on the Viognier juice. After 30 days in tank, the Syrah berries are pressed and added back into the Viognier” whoa.) Heavy Bottle (610g; 21.5oz). 80% Viognier, 20% Syrah, co-fermented. Super dark, almost a red, in fact, with rich, dark red fruit: plum, even cassis here. On the verge of a grape Kool-aid element on the palate with an animal/earthy aspect. This certainly pushes the envelope on what one considers “rosé”. Rich, but plenty of acidity. Much more vinous than your average rosé. Excellent. 90 Points.

**2025 Martin Ray Rosé of Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $25. Very Responsible Bottle (482g; 17.0oz). True Rosé. Bubblegum pink with a dirty, funky citrus nose, with some strawberry. Good acidity, but lacking fruit. Fine, I guess? Very Good. 88 Points.

*2022 Covenant Red C Rosé, Lodi, CA: Retail $35. Responsible Bottle (564g; 19.9oz). True Rosé. Grenache, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. Barely any color here with an interesting nose of mature citrus (is that a thing?) and a slight medicinal component. Plenty of acidity, but the lack of fruit is noticeable. Very Good. 88 Points.

2024 Troon Vineyard Mourvèdre Rosé, Applegate Valley, OR: Retail $25. Very Responsible Bottle (479g; 16.9oz). True Rosé. Again, not much color here to call it a rosé as it looks more like an aged chardonnay. Meaty, even very meaty on the nose, I struggle to find fruit. Another wine that pushes what one considers “rosé”. This is not in the same neighborhood of the fruity, light Provençal style wines, it is more vinous and contemplative. Thus, I struggle to rate it. Very Good. 88 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!