Wine Cellar Review

Rosés from the South

Rosé wines are on the up. In France, rosé (“pink”) has now exceeded white wine in sales. In hot weather, it’s one of the most refreshing wines you can drink: the perfect summer wine. Rosés are mostly simple wines, often more orange in colour than pink. Many of them available locally hail from the Languedoc-Rousillon region of France, down in the South West near the Mediterranean. These wines invariably carry the appellation “Vin de Pays d’Oc” (van duh pay-YEE dock) meaning “Country wines of the South”. Regular readers of this column will know that these wines are well worth exploring.

In the past, winemakers created rosé virtually by chucking some red wine into a barrel of white, but not anymore. Many winemakers believe that people buy rosés not simply for their colour, but for their special qualities; their lightness,  elegance and refreshing favours. Today, most rosés are made by crushing red grape  s fairly early and then leaving the skins in contact with the juice for only a couple of days. In this way, there’s not enough time for the skins to impart much of their colour and tannin to the resulting wine.

Incidentally, remember that while European rosés are nearly always dry, those from the USA (often described as “blush”) can be unpleasantly sweet. For a garden barbeque or patio party, a dry rosé from the Languedoc is perfect.

Terw re des Anges Rosé (Vin de Pays d’Oc) France. (Villa, Bt. 444) With a clear rich, orange-pink colour and tiny refections of purple, this wine has a delicate foral aroma suggesting strawberries and (I think) mandarin oranges. Although it’s quite dry with citrus overtones, the wine has a light, elegant body with a soft silky mouth-feel. There’s a good balance of acidity, which avoids any sense of fabbiness and there’s a refreshing citrusy fnish.

This is a jolly good little wine which comes from south west of Beziers in the Languedoc, proving once again that this is the area to watch. At just 12% alcohol it would be ideal for light dishes, omelets or quiche. Drink it really cold.

Celliers Contemporains Cinsault Rosé 2008 (Vin de Pays d’Oc) France. (Wine Connection, Bt. 399) The Cinsault (SAN-so) redwine grape  is planted  throughout  the Languedoc. It likes hot weather and is very productive, making wines that tend to be high in acid and low in tannins. In France, they now grow more Cinsault than Cabernet Sauvignon.

This lively wine is an intriguing pale transparent pink-orange, with a lovely light foral aroma of berries. A very light body and a typically generous touch of acidity make this a refreshing drink. It’s well-balanced, dry and delicate but there’s an attractive layer of foral sweetness and a longish crisp fnish which brings out hints of herbs.

At only 12% alcohol, this easy drinker would probably go down well with people who normally prefer white wine. Enjoy it served very cold with salads, omelets and other light savoury dishes like pizza. There are many good rosés available locally and you can usually fnd a good selection at either Villa or Friendship. Sad to say, my dogs don’t much care for rosé wines. They much prefer a good Beaune.