Pretty, clear light rosy pink color. Red berry and subtle wildflower scent, fresh, a touch of strawberries on the palate, perhaps the one clear signal of its Pinot Noir provenance. The winery claims a small amount of residual sugar, but it appears bone-dry and faintly prickly, with 12% alcohol; an intriguing hint of “rainwater” minerality in the background. Crisp and tart, red berries and subtle lemon-lime in a very long finish. (July 10, 2017)
FOOD MATCH: Great with a Caprese salad of ripe garden tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and garden basil with fine olive oil. Also a delicious summer sipper on its own or turned into a light, quenching spritzer with equal portions of rosé and sparkling water over ice in a tall glass with lemon.
WHEN TO DRINK: There’s no reason why you couldn’t keep it on its side in a cool place for a year or two, but rosé is really made to enjoy, not lay down. Buy it, drink it, buy some more.
VALUE:
You might say that $20 is getting up there by traditional standards for rosé, but perhaps it’s time for rosé to take equal place alongside white and red. My local price is in line with the $20 U.S. average on Wine-Searcher.com.
WEB LINK
Here’s a winery fact sheet on Sokol-Blosser 2016 Dundee Hills Estate Cuvée Rosé of Pinot Noir.
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