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A rosé
by any other name is pink. Rosado, rosato, claret,
blush. And true to what the word means in French
(“pinkish”), rosé wines come in the full range of the
pink spectrum, from the subtlest pink and salmon-pink
hues to coppery plum and pale raspberry red. Strangely
enough, these wines are almost always never called pink,
but rosé. And their color, I think, is what has given
rosé an image problem. Because who takes pink seriously?
Don’t get me wrong. I am not downgrading pink. I happen
to adore the color in all of its manifestations, down to
the kind of fuchsia that makes your eyes swim. But wine
that’s neither red nor white, in that iffy in-between
shade?
Most
rosés get their color from the short maceration of grape
juice with grape skin. Because wine gets its color from
the pigment-rich skins of dark-colored grapes, the
longer the juice is in contact with the skin, the deeper
the color. Another method is by running off pink-stained
juice from fermenting red grapes, called saignée, the
French word for “bled,” in allusion to the color
bleeding into the juice. In a category of its own is
Champagne rosé, made by blending red and white wine, the
only appellation permitted to make rosé this way. This
pinkness is also why some people are misled into
thinking that these are sweet, wimpy wines. True, there
are the sugary, insipid versions that have given rosé a
bad reputation. But producers in different countries
offer a range of styles that are at best light, apple-y
and strawberry-ish, straddling that line between sweet
and not, or the kind that is high in alcohol,
herby/savory and bone dry.
Photo by TONETTE JACINTO
From
France and Spain come the most interesting—and
arresting—dry rosés. Grenache is the main grape of
choice in making these wines, sometimes blended with
other varieties according to the region. Rosé labeled
Bandol, Lirac, Tavel and
Cotes de
Provence
are the most popular in France. Tavel and Lirac from the
Southern Rhone, and Bandol rosé from Provence can pack a
wallop of alcohol, while the regular Cotes de Provence
rosé, some in the pretty bowling-pin shaped bottle, is
light and charming. The well-regarded rosados (Spanish
rosés) are from the regions of Rioja, Navarra and
Cigales, and are deeper-colored, with examples from
Navarra exhibiting the fresher style.
I’ve
picked out some examples that my friends and I have had
the pleasure of drinking and are available in
Manila:
Chateau
la Gordonne 2005, Cotes de Provence, made from a blend
of Grenache Noir, Cinsault and Tibouren, with Syrah and
Mourvèdre thrown in for deeper color. Redolent of
flowers, fruit jam, strawberry and citrus, laced with a
grinding of white pepper. Delicate and crisp, with
refreshing apple, strawberry and toasted almond flavors.
Marques
de Caceres 2006, Rioja Rosado, made from Tempranillo and
Garnacha. A deep-colored raspberry pink. Hefty, with
cherry-grapefruit flavors and a peppery finish.
Homenaje
2005, Navarra Rosado, lighter than its Rioja
counterpart, with citrus and floral notes, juicy
cherry/raspberry flavors and the same peppery snap.
Woodbridge Rosé 2005, mostly from Zinfandel grapes. Red
apple and citrus notes with the slightest hint of
sweetness.
Though
they differ in character, rosés shine in warm weather
when, served chilled, they deliver the refreshing
vibrancy that takes the sting off a hot day. That
perhaps explains why they are not taken as “serious”
wines and are only seen mostly as seasonal diversions.
But then again, that may just be their reason for being,
because no wine can quite evoke lightheartedness and
freshness, or conjure images of blue skies and balmy
weather, warm starry nights and dining outdoors.
So Edith
Piaf may have drank rosé in her lifetime, because it is
after all, the quintessential French summer quaffer. And
like those who may be summering now in the south of
France,
she may have had it, too, with its classic
partner—bouillabaisse and garlicky rouille. But here in
Manila, where summer is almost an everyday occurrence, I
have a rosé with adobo (piled on fragrant, steamed rice)
on a warm night on my little terrace—and dream of Paris
under the same starlit sky. That’s when I see life
through rose-colored glasses.
Vinofile
Homenaje
Navarra Rosado 2006, P395; Marques de Caceres Rioja
Rosado 2006, P470; Otoñal Rioja Rosado 2006, P360; Les
Petites Jamelles Grenache Rosé 2005, P360—at Terry
Selection: Unit 2, Building B, Karrivin Plaza, 2316
Pasong Tamo Extension, Makati City, (632) 729-7906/07;
Lower Ground, The Podium, 18 ADB Ave., Mandaluyong,
(632) 638.57.25/26.
Chateau
la Gordonne 2005, Cotes de Provence, P470; Robert
Mondavi Woodbridge Rosé 2005, P672—at Forth and Tay,
(632) 671-8643, orders@forthtay.com. |
