Below are notes from a recent tasting of rosé wines. The 16 bottles are listed in ascending order, according to price. More than half of them ring up at $18 or less.
2017 Mont Gravet Rosé. Made from grapes sourced in the south of France, this 100 percent cinsault is full of strawberry, incense and herbal notes, with a touch of salinity. $9
2017 Michel Torino Rosé. This delightful wine from Argentina’s Calchaqui Valley offers lip-smacking plum, cherry, tropical fruit notes and a touch of spice. This wine is 100 percent malbec. $11
2017 Santa Julia Malbec Rosé. Another one from Argentina (Mendoza, this time), this organic wine has sweet red fruit in abundance, followed by a touch of spice and a clean finish. $11
2017 Santi Infinito Rosé. Grapes for this wine were grown near Italy’s Lake Garda in the Veneto region, resulting in a wine full of anise, cherry, strawberry, floral notes and crisp minerality. $13
2017 Chateau Mont-Redon Reserve Cotes du Rhone Rosé. Watermelon, stone fruit, fennel, bright acidity and a refreshing wave of ripe citrus lead to a nuttiness on the finish in this one. $15
2017 Tasca Regaleali Le Rosé. From Sicily, here is a wine that offers bursts of strawberry, herbs and floral notes, plus mouthwatering, lively acidity and a clean crisp finish. $15
2017 Vidal-Fleury Cotes du Rhone Rosé. A lively and fresh blend of cinsault, syrah and grenache, bursting with strawberry and tangerine, plus floral notes and minerality. $15
2017 Hecht & Bannier Cotes de Provence Rosé. Peach, watermelon, earth, minerality and herbs were delivered with a soft mouthfeel and a slowly emerging nuttiness in the long finish. $18
2017 Farmstrong Vineyards Field Rosé. From California’s Redwood Valley, this refreshing wine, made of zinfandel and carignan, offers lively peach, nectarine and even watermelon rind flavors, wrapped up with a clean finish. $18
2017 Gamble Family Vineyards Rosé Wine. A blend of red Bordeaux grapes, this lush and delightful Napa Valley wine offered floral notes, plus strawberry, dark cherry, figs and nuts. $20
2017 Malene Wines Rosé. Strawberry, licorice, peach and a kiss of honey commingle in this California wine. Soft and creamy yet dry and crisp on the finish. $22
2017 Domaine Pascal Jolivet Sancerre Rosé. From France’s Loire Valley, this wine offers bright strawberry, peach and herbal notes, all of it mouthwatering, luscious and clean. $23
2017 Stoller Family Estate Pinot Noir Rosé. Strawberry, cream, anise, citrus, a touch of peach and crushed-rock minerality are all present in this lip-smacking wine from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. $25
2017 Gran Moraine Winery Rosé of Pinot Noir. Another one from Oregon, this wine serves up notes of watermelon, almond, earth, citrus and bright acidity, all leading to a crisp finish. $28
2017 Ladera Vineyards Rosé. Peach, watermelon, stone fruit, lime zest and juicy strawberry are joined by a touch of spice in this 100 percent malbec from Napa Valley. $30
2017 Inman Family Wines Endless Crush Rosé of Pinot Noir. From Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley, this beautiful wine delivers fresh-cut watermelon, floral notes and minerality, along with rich ripe cherry and strawberry. $38
About the Author