2022 Acquiesce Cinsaut Rosé, Lodi, CA: Retail $35. Quite light in color with a muted nose with a hint (?) of fruit. The palate is much of the same. Sure, it’s fine, but “thin” certainly applies. Very Good. 88 Points.
2022 Acquiesce Grenache Rosé, Lodi, CA: Retail $35. Heavy Bottle (653g; 1lb 7oz). Light to medium color with a salty, almost caramel strawberry nose. Whoa. This is it. Rich, fruity, textured, smoky, even. This is the most serious wine of the tasting thus far. Outstanding. 96 Points.
2023 Acquiesce Grenache Rosé, Lodi, CA: Retail $35. Heavy Bottle. Light cotton candy color with bright cherry, strawberry, and even rhubarb. Wonderful nose. Fruity, tart, absolutely delicious. This is gangbusters. Outstanding. 94 Points.
*2021 Balverne Pinot Noir Forever Wild, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $45. Responsible Bottle (587g; 1lb 4.7oz). Pale pink with a hint of orange, and a lovely, but shy nose with some muted fruit on the nose. Quite fruity and even a bit sweet here, it comes off as a bit disjointed for me. Very Good. 89 Points.
*2022 Balverne Pinot Noir Forever Wild, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $28. A brilliant pink in the glass, but decidedly on the lighter side of rosé in color. Classic nose of red fruit with hints of melon and citrus.. Mostly strawberry on the palate though with great acidity and balance. Excellent. 92 Points.
**2022 Belle Glos Pinot Noir Œil de Perdrix, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $27. Medium to light in color with a bit of salinity, some rhubarb, and underripe cherry on the nose. The palate is meaty, even quite meaty with hints of fruit on the edges. A bit of astringency here, but it works. Excellent. 90 Points.
*2022 Brooks Pinot Noir Rosé, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $28. Ridiculously Responsible Bottle (435g; 15.3oz). Medium color with a meaty nose with some red fruit. The palate is a bit on the heavy side with that meaty aspect and hints of wild strawberry. Very Good. 89 Points.
2023 Brooks Pinot Noir Rosé, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $28. Responsible Bottle (537g; 1lb 2.9oz). Medium color with more of a creamy, ripe fruit here. Gorgeous nose. The palate is fruity, but also rustic with the tartness driving the bus, along with a meaty component, but it all works. Excellent. 91 Points.
*2022 C.L. Butaud Pa Pa Frenchy Rosé, Texas High Plains, TX: Retail $15. Very Responsible Bottle (491g; 17.3oz). I really loved this wine last year (95 pts), but this bottle, less so. Medium color, on the verge of dark for a rosé with a metallic aspect blurring the fruit. A bit flabby on the palate with an odd mélange of non-traditional rose flavors. Very Good. 88 Points.
2023 Calafia Pinot Noir The Princess, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $28. Medium pink with just a hint of orange and a lovely, sweet nose with ripe strawberry. The palate is quite fruity and comes off as a bit sweet, but it works due to the tartness. Excellent. 92 Points.
2023 The Calling Pinot Noir Terra de Promissio, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $43. Medium pink in color with a rich, ripe, strawberry on the nose. The palate is quite ripe, rich, and unctuous. It also comes off as a bit sweet. I wonder what the residual sugar is on this wine? Very Good. 89 Points.
2023 Cattleya Alma de Cattleya Rose of Pinot Noir, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $20. Medium color with really ripe fruit on the nose. Strawberry, melon, cherry. Good fruit, tartness on the palate, but there is a slightly odd note here (medicinal) that certainly detracts from the fruit. Very Good. 88 Points.
*2022 Chehalem Rosé of Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $28. Ridiculously Responsible Bottle (460g; 16.2oz). Light color, really light with nice fruit and a touch of minerality and florality. The palate is quite nice with ample fruit and tartness. Excellent. 91 Points.
2023 Chehalem Rosé of Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $28.Ridiculously Responsible Bottle (461g; 16.2oz). Quite light in the glass, easily the lightest of the flight, but all pink (no orange). More floral than fruity on the nose with some crushed seashell. Quite provencal on the palate with reserved fruit and more than ample acidity. Look, this is light and delicate, but it is also delicious. Whoa. Outstanding. 93 Points.
*2022 Clif Family Winery Grenache Rosé, Mendocino, CA: Retail $30. Very Responsible Bottle. 490g; 17.3oz). Tart and savory nose in this really light colored wine with a nose that goes on for days. Rich, unctuous, on the verge of over the top. Excellent. 92 Points.
2023 Clif Family Winery Grenache Rosé, Mendocino, CA: Retail $30. Very light in the glasas with another incredible nose of small red berry fruit, guava, and passion fruit. The palate, again, is fantastically bright, fruity and tart. Outstanding. 96 Points.
*2021 Cline Cellars Mourvèdre Rosé, Contra Costa County, CA: Retail $21. More of an orange than pink with ripe melon and a touch of funk (I love the funk). Rich and creamy with tons of body, I feel like this has a bit of age on it, which is why we do this tasting. To highlight all well-made rosé. Excellent. 91 Points.
*2022 Covenant Red C Rosé, California: Retail $35. Responsible Bottle (564g; 19.9oz). Grenache, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. Light with seemingly more of an orange hue than pink. The nose is a bit different. My wife says parsley I say more of a roasted corn. The palate, while quite tart, is much better than the nose with nice fruit. Very Good. 88 Points.
2023 Covenant Red C Rosé, California: Retail $35. Very Responsible Bottle (500g; 17.6oz). “A blend of Grenache, Pinot Noir, and Syrah.” Light in color with a bit of melon and sweet, ripe strawberry on the nose. Quite floral, even on the verge of overly, with decent fruit and a hint of sweetness on the palate. Very Good. 88 Points.
*2022 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Rosé Avant Garde, Carneros, CA: Retail $30. Very Responsible Bottle (470g; 16.6oz). More orangethan pink, but clearly light, with a rather closed nose. Some cherry? I guess. Really provençale in style, OK fruit, good acidity. Fine. Very Good. 89 Points.
2023 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Rosé Avant Garde, Carneros, CA: Retail $32. Light pink with a rich nose, full of melon, red fruit, really fantastic. The palate is rich and engaging, full and gangbusters. This is what American rosé can be. Outstanding. 94 Points.
2022 Duchman Family Winery Dry Texas Rose, Texas Hill Country, TX: Retail $26. Responsible Bottle (592g; 1lb 4.8oz). 50% Dolcetto, 30% Montepulciano, 20% Aglianico. Medium to dark in color with lovely fruit and floral notes. Add in a salty component and maybe even a meaty aspect. Intense right away on the palate with plenty of fruit but also a medicinal component that I am not quite sure about. Very Good. 89 Points.
*2022 Duck Pond Pinot Noir Natural Path, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $20. Light more orange than pink. Nice fruit with tons of melon and watermelon. Fruity and tart but also a bit round. Very nice. Excellent. 91 Points.
2023 Emery Grant Pinot Noir Rosé, Anderson Valley, CA: Retail $25. Beautiful color and a wonderful nose of bright fruit and a hint of floral. The palate is wonderful: tart, fruity (wild strawberry), and wonderfully balanced. Another fantastic wine. Outstanding. 93 Points.
**2023 Josh Cellars Rosé, California: Retail $16. This might be made with Barbera, but I could not verify that. Fairly light orangish pink with a very shy nose where eventually some nice fruit peeks through along with some thyme. Intense zinginess overpowers the fruit initially, but the slightly underripe strawberry comes through on the finish. Excellent. 91 Points.
*2022 Justin Vineyards & Winery Rosé, Paso Robles, CA: Retail $22. Very Responsible Bottle (482g; 17oz). I could not find any details about what fruit goes into this wine. Not good. More orange than pink with a very tart nose, more citrus than anything. Fruity on the palate, but a bit flabby with a mineral aspect on the finish. Very Good. 89 Points.
2022 Ketcham Estate Pinot Noir Savannah’s Rosé, Russian River Valley, CA:Retail $38. Medium color with a sweet strawberries and cream nose. Lovely. The palate is a bit round with nice fruit and a mineral note. Nice. Excellent. 91 Points.
*2022 King Estate Pinot Noir Rosé, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $25. Responsible Bottle (538g; 19oz). Medium to dark with a rather odd nose. Acetate? Kerosene? The palate is not much better, but there is some fruit and decent acidity, but still that kerosene aspect persists. Good. 86 Points.
2023 Kleinlerer Wines Cinsault Cuvée Sacha & Nitza, Lodi, CA: Retail $27. Really light in the glass with just a hint of color. The palate is a bit flinty and dirty with hints of fruit in the background. Good tartness, but lacking in fruit. There is balance, I guess, but it needs a fruit infusion. Very Good. 88 Points.
**2022 La Crema Pinot Noir Rosé, Monterey, CA: Retail $25. Very Responsible Bottle (472g; 16.6oz). Medium to dark in color with a lovely fruity nose of tree fruit (peach) and cream. Rich and tart on the palate, this is certainly on the bigger side of rosé with plenty of fruit and a balancing tartness. Big, but nice. Excellent. 92 Points.
2023 Lange Rosé of Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $29. Responsible Bottle (525g; 1lb 2.5oz). Light to medium in color with a lovely nose: melon, strawberry, and even guava. The palate? Whoa. Another classic Rosé. Fruity, tart, balanced. I would drink this all day, every day. Outstanding. 95 Points.
2023 Merriam Vineyards Pinot Noir Rosé, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $30. Responsible Bottle (523g; 18.4oz). A light pink in the glass. Quite shy as not much coming from the nose or the palate. There is a touch of fruit, I guess, on the palate, and some acidity, but really not expressing much. Very Good. 87 Points.
*2021 Notre Vue GSM Rose, Chalk Hill, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $29. Very Heavy Bottle (733g; 1lb 9.8oz). 34% Grenache, 33% Syrah, 33% Mourvèdre. Pale pink, maybe more orange, with a subtle, subdued nose lhat really only gave off a bit of caramel on the nose. Rather non-descript on the palate as well, with only a touch of fruit (I really had to search for it) and just kinda blah. Very Good. 88 Points.
2022 Pedernales Cellars Over the Moon Rosé, Texas High Plains, TX: Retail $32. Very Heavy Bottle (700g; 1lb 8.7oz). 45% Cinsault, 29% Grenache, 26% Mourvedre. Texas High Plains. Medium to dark in color, seems slightly more orange than pink. The nose is a tad shy, with subtle fruit eventually, verging on sweet on the nose. Candied fruit, quite tart on the palate. A bigger style of rosé, Very Good. 89 Points.
2022 Pedroncelli Dry Rosé of Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, CA: Retail $22. Deeper color than the others thus far with a flinty nose accompanied by some faint fruit. The palate is lovely and balanced with great fruit and a lively tanginess. Excellent. 92 Points.
2023 Pedroncelli Dry Rosé of Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, CA: Retail $22. Medium color, more bubblegum than cotton candy. Intense nose of great ripe strawberry, some sweetness, even close to a Jolly Rancher. Bright and fruity, intense, even on the palate. Bright with tons of body, I am sure this would work well in Texas. Excellent. 92 Points.
*2022 Pisoni Family Vineyards Lucy Rosé of Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, CA: Retail $30. Ridiculously Responsible Bottle (488g; 1lb 1.1oz). Medium to light pink with a dirty nose and some strawberry and rhubarb. Bright and lively on the palate with near impeccable balance. Very nice. Excellent. 92 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 with some melon and citrus on the nose. The palate is another fantastic, almost quintessential American rose. Great. Outstanding. 94 Points.
*2022 Purple Star Rosé, Columbia Valley, WA: Retail $20. Ridiculously Responsible Bottle (483g; 17.0oz). 100%(?) Mourvèdre. Another wine with a light, orangish pink color and notes of red berry fruit. A bit lacking in fruit on the palate, but there is a nice tartness and a solid finish. Excellent. 90 Points.
*2021 Rocky Pond Winery Stratastone Rosé Double D Vineyard, Columbia Valley, WA: Retail $30. Heavy Bottle (636g; 1lb 6.4oz). Grenache, Syrah, Mourvédre, Viognier, Semillon, and Marsanne. More orange than pink with another fantastic nose of red rose petal, strawberry and slightly under-ripe raspberry. Great fruit and plenty of acidity, with a hint of sweetness. Otherwise? This is fantastic. Excellent. 92 Points.
*2022 Rodney Strong Pinot Noir Rosé, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $25. Very Responsible Bottle (472g; 16.6oz). Light to medium color with a nose that has a bit of an off aroma, hard to place. The palate is better with good fruit and balance. But that nose. Very Good. 89 Points.
2023 Rodney Strong Pinot Noir Rosé, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $25. Fairly light cotton candy color with melon and a bit of flint on the nose with a touch of florality. The palate is lovely: good strawberry fruit, intense tartness, fantastic. Outstanding. 93 Points.
2022 Ron Yates Grenache Rosé Farmhouse Vineyards, Texas High Plains, TX:Retail $20. Responsible Bottle (500g; 17.6oz). Medium pink with nice fruit (strawberry rhubarb) with a mineral and meaty aspect that works. The palate is equally enchanting with plenty of cherry and strawberry, a touch of rose petal, and great balance. Wonderful. Outstanding. 94 Points.
2023 Sangiacomo Wines Vin Gris of Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $36. Responsible Bottle (532g; 1lb 2.8oz). A bit light in the glass with more of classical rosé nose: strawberry, cherry, fantastic. The palate is also quite lovely with vibrant fruit and a brilliant zing. If you don’t like this, you don’t like rosé and we probably can’t be friends. Outstanding. 95 Points.
2023 Sébastien Wines, Dry Creek Valley, CA: Retail $30. Ridiculously Responsible Bottle (452g; 15.9oz). Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. Medium pink color, with more of a tree fruit vibe here, peach and pear. Nice on the palate with decent fruit and nice tartness. Excellent. 90 Points.
2023 Shannon Family of Wines Mother Vine, High Valley, CA: Retail $38. Heavy Bottle (642g; 1lb 6.6oz). Cinsault and Grenache. I have no doubt that they love the bottle, it is beautiful, but…The wine? Very light with more of an orange with a candied nose of melon and lime. Great fruit, really fantastic, tart, lively, lovely. Comes off as a bit sweet due to all of that fruit, but it really is a fantastic wine. Yowza. Outstanding. 95 Points.
2022 Silver Trident Pinot Noir Apollo’s Folly Rosé, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $35. Very Heavy Bottle (732g; 25.8oz). Another wine that I really liked last year (96 points) but has dropped of significantly. More orange than pink, but plenty of color. The nose is quite muted and the palate is on the verge of “interesting” with a caramel, oxidative note. The palate is, again, rich and a bit oxidative but not much fruit. Very Good. 88 Points.
*2021 Smith-Madrone Rosé, Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley, CA: Retail $30. Ridiculously Responsible Bottle (414g; 14.6oz). 67% Cabernet Franc, 33% Merlot. I have been doing this tasting for eight years now and I can safely say that there has not been a bigger difference from one year to the next than with this 2021 Smith-Madrone. Last year, I was not a fan (87 points). This year? Holy cow. Really dark in both color and aromas, this is honestly fairly close to a red. More darker fruit here, plum, raspberry. Good fruit on the palate, even really good with some nice acidity. Whoa. Given the color, I assumed this would be heavy handed, but it really works. Outstanding. 94 Points.
2023 Smith-Madrone Rosé, Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley, CA: Retail $30. Very Responsible Bottle (492g; 17.4oz). 50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Franc. Quite dark, almost a red with a really fruity nose of blackberry and even a bit of bubblegum. Really rich red fruit on the palate, full-bodied for sure. This is not your normal rosé, pass me a roasted chicken and stand back. Excellent. 92 Points.
2023 Sokol Blosser Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, CA: Retail $28. Medium pink with a lovely cotton candy nose. Nice and tart with really good fruit and a lovely balance. Fantastic. Outstanding. 93 Points.
2023 Spicewood Vineyards Cinsault Rosé Farmhouse Vineyards, Texas High Plains, TX: Retail $30. Very Responsible Bottle (495g; 17.5oz). Mostly orange in color with maybe a touch a pink. The nose is certainly on the medicinal side and the palate is as well. Good. 86 Points.
*2022 Stephen Ross Pinot Noir Rosé, Edna Valley, CA: Retail $25. Ridiculously Responsible Bottle (476g; 16.7oz). Medium color with a touch of petrol on the nose, oddly, with a palate that is a bit listless. Some stale fruit, and just an odd vibe. Although this is under screw cap, there might be something off with this bottle as it was one of the top wines last year. Very Good. 87 Points.
*2022 Stoller Pinot Noir Rosé, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $22. Cotton candy pink with loverly strawberry and cherry. Good fruit and acidity with a bit of roundness coming in on the finish. Nice. Excellent. 90 Points.
2023 Stoller Pinot Noir Rosé, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $22. Ridiculously Responsible Bottle (454g; 1lb). Medium pink with a hint of orange, with melon, maybe some guava, and a touch of red berry fruit on the nose. Solid fruit, buoyed by a nice acidity, with fantastic balance. Very solid. Excellent. 92 Points.
*2021 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir Rosé, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $22. Responsible Bottle (528g; 18.6oz). Tons of color with a jammy, rich nose. Quite full and even big with a bit of spice and tons of fruit and an interesting savory note. Very Good 89 Points.
*2022 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir Rosé, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $25. Medium to dark in color with the slightest hint of orange. Mostly strawberry here with a touch of melon and some flint. Nice. Really fruity. Really fruity. So much so that it comes off sweet, but this has to be pretty close to bone dry. Great weight. Gangbusters. Lovely. Outstanding. 94+ Points.
2023 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir Rosé, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $22. Responsible Bottle (533g; 1lb 2.8oz). Under screw cap. Pinkish orange with a fruity nose and plenty of florality. Very nice. Good fruit, maybe a little light in acidity and a touch savory, but overall a solid effort. Excellent. 90 Points.
2023 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir Rosé de Ville, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $30. Medium pinkish orange with a salty, red fruit, almost caramel nose that is fantastic. This is another wine that is more serious, it’s not just a fruity, tart, glass of wonderfulness, it is more vinous and vibrant. Outstanding. 96 Points.
*2022 Troon Vineyard Kubli Bench Rosé, Applegate Valley, OR: Retail $25. 55% Mourvèdre, 25% Cinsault, 9% Counoise, 8% Carignan, 3% Négrette. Really, really light in color with a really funky, almost off-putting nose, sulfur, almost barnyard (but not Brett). The palate? Better, with some fruit and tartness, but there is that meaty thing going on here. Very Good. 87 Points.
2023 Troon Vineyard Ascendant Rosé, Applegate Valley, OR: Retail $30. Very Responsible Bottle (482g; 17oz). I could not find any information about this wine on line. Lacking any real “pink” this is, at least in color, more of a slightly dark (ish) white than a rosé. Herbal (mint, basil) more than fruity both on the nose and the palate. Even with some time, the fruit just was not there, still, I like it. Very Good. 88 Points.
2023 Troon Vineyard Druid’s Pink, Applegate Valley, OR: Retail $25. Very Responsible Bottle (479g; 16.9oz). 62% Mourvèdre, 18% Grenache, 8% Cinsault, 7% Carignan, 5% Counoise. Quite light with an intriguing nose of buttered popcorn, with a little medicinal thing going on, but it works? The fruit on the palate is more marmalade then fresh with some good tartness. Very Good. 88 Points.
2023 We Know Jack Zinfandel Rockpile Riff Raff Jack Florence Sr. Vineyard, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $28. Responsible Bottle (516g; 1lb 2.2oz)Pinkish orange with a bit of a dirty nose with some wild strawberry. Rather shy on the palate with not much fruit initially, but by the midpalate, both the acidity and fruit come through. Strong finish as well. Lovely. Excellent. 91 Points.
*2022 Youngberg Hill Pinot Noir Rosé, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $40. Ridiculously Responsible Bottle (483g; 17oz). Light pinkish orange with a bit of a dirty nose that is also perfumed with a lovely floral note. Good fruit but a bit round initially. The acidity comes through by the finish though. Nice. Excellent. 90 Points.
2023 Youngberg Hill Pinot Noir Rosé, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $40. On the lighter side in color with good red berry vibe going on the nose. The palate is simply fantastic: great fruit, intense, even, with fantastic acidity. Intense, but lovely. Outstanding. 93 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.
the drunken cyclist 