Summer Rose and Riesling Tasting

"Never, never trust anyone who asks for white wine. It means they're phonies."
 - Bette Davis

 

What does it mean if they ask for rose wine?  Today, rose is one of the fastest growing categories and I’m not talking about white Zinfandel, the bone dry rose wines of the South of France and dry rose wines from all over the world are gaining market share so three years ago we started hosting an annual event that focuses solely on the great dry rose wines from around the world.  This year I’ve decided to add a second rose wine tasting to include Sparkling wines and just for fun we will throw in another great wine for the summertime Riesling.

Wine drinking people are confused when they see Riesling on the label to this day because they think all Rieslings are sweet.  Today the rage in Germany is dry and GG is the top level of dry Riesling but other than the GG on the bottle there is nothing on most Riesling labels that will give you any indication if the wine is dry or sweet other than the alcohol content.  Any Riesling under 10% will have a decent amount of residual sugar and the lower the alcohol the higher the residual sugar or sweetness.  If they have 13% or higher then the wine is almost certainly bone dry. 

Come out and experience 30 different Rose and Riesling wines from around the world and some tasty treats made by chef Toni Lampasone.  The fee for this walk-around tasting in the Wine Cave is $45+ tax for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

Were back from Oregon and this week we are open at the Wine Bar Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.  I have included the menu on the bottom of this e-mail but it also includes every bottle of Rose, Rose Sparkling and Riesling that we have in the store so it may take you a little while to get to the menu here.  You can always check out the menu for the night the wine bar is open on the calendar of events at https://www.winewatch.com/wine-events-d6/ if you want to know what Toni and Daniellita are cooking up for this weekend.

Rose and Riesling Wine tasting in the Wine Watch Wine Cave
Saturday, July 20th 2019
7:30 PM

Villa Riviera Cotes De Provence Rose

2018 Villa Riviera Rose Reserve Cote de Provence
Price: $24.75    Your Price: $21.78      Quantity in Stock: 11

This generous Rose will seduce you with its beautiful color and its aromatic nose that will remind you of a sunny afternoon in Provence. Delicately fruity with mouth-watering notes of white peach, mango, and grapefruit it will make you crave for more. The finale is fresh, crisp, and elegant. This wine is perfect to be shared at the aperitif, for lunch or during a sunny afternoon.

2016 Villa Riviera Rose Splendid Cote de Provence MAGNUM
Price: $43.50    Your Price: $38.28      Quantity in Stock: 3
2017 Villa Riviera Rose Splendid Cote de Provence
Price: $19.50    Your Price: $17.16      Quantity in Stock: 5

Finesse, elegance and refinement are ideal to describe this deliciously velvety rosé. The color is subtle with beautiful clarity. The nose is delicate and pleasant with aromas of peach and white flowers. Notes of strawberries will rise from the back of the palate with a touch of apple for a crisp finish. The beautiful balance of flavors and aromas will transport you straight to the dock of your yacht.

2016 Villa Riviera Rose Grande Reserve Cote de Provence
Price: $29.25    Your Price: $25.74      Quantity in Stock: 3

A rosé wine at its best! The color is pale, slightly salmon with beautiful clarity and luminosity. The nose is complex and structured; the palate is rich and gentle. Flavors and layers appear as you are enjoying the oldest expression of our unique terroir for a very long, aromatic finish. This is what French people call a Rosé Gourmand, a Rosé of Connoisseurs or simply a Gastronomic Rosé.

Twenty-One Wines and Spirits

Plouzeau Chinon Rose 2018  
Price: $20.25   Sale $17.82

Cinsault- Grenache blend Brimming with peach, lemon, pink grapefruit, redcurrant, garden herbs, cranberry, wild strawberry and creamy white chocolate; this is an absolute classic. This immense quality will come as no surprise when you learn that the vineyard is owned by Tom Bove, the man who built up Château Miraval before selling it to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Bought as his next project after the success of that venture, this is very much one to watch. Château La Mascaronne’s Quat’Saisons Rosé comes from an exquisite estate in the heart of the Côtes de Provence appellation. And as the experts at Wine Advocate – who, incidentally, awarded this 91 points – said on tasting this wine: “This organic producer clearly merits more attention.”

Château La Mascaronne Côtes de Provence Rosé Quat 'saisons 2018       
Price: $ 23.75  Sale $20.90

Cinsault- Grenache blend Brimming with peach, lemon, pink grapefruit, redcurrant, garden herbs, cranberry, wild strawberry and creamy white chocolate; this is an absolute classic. This immense quality will come as no surprise when you learn that the vineyard is owned by Tom Bove, the man who built up Château Miraval before selling it to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Bought as his next project after the success of that venture, this is very much one to watch. Château La Mascaronne’s Quat’Saisons Rosé comes from an exquisite estate in the heart of the Côtes de Provence appellation. And as the experts at Wine Advocate – who, incidentally, awarded this 91 points – said on tasting this wine: “This organic producer clearly merits more attention.”

Charvin Chateauneuf Du Pape Rose 2018   
Price: $24.75   Sale $21.78

Gerard Charvin and his son, Laurent, represent the quintessence of the small domaine/father and son team. They have only 8 Ha of Châteauneuf-duPape, and half of that they sell off to negociants, keeping only the best lots for the Châteauneuf of Domaine Charvin.  Average 40 years Sandy, more clay based soil with galets roulés A 1.5 ha parcel of about (depending on the crop variation each year) 50% Grenache, 50% Cinsaul. Organically farmed and entirely harvested by hand with sorting done in the vineyard. The Cinsault is first harvested and pressed and then about a day later the Grenache is harvested and pressed. Once assembled, they ferment for 14 days with only indigenous yeasts.  After racking, this rosé spends the winter in tanks, conducting a natural sedimentation and is finally bottled in April.

Domaine de la Croix Côtes de Provence Cru Classé Cuvée Eloge Rosé 2018        
Price: $ 26.25  Sale $23.10

The prestige and the elegance of the peninsula of Saint Tropez express themselves through the wines of the Domaine de La Croix, (Cru Classé de Provence), an anthology of rich flavours of fruits and precious balances.

Empire Riesling New York 2017
Price: $ 20.25  Sale $17.82

2017 delivered one of the coolest, longest growing seasons in well over a decade. From budbreak through mid-November, the Finger Lakes had even, cool weather before a two month stretch of solid sun during harvest. The result is the best vintage for Riesling since the storied 2008s; wines that are drinking well with youth, but have the structure and acidity to age for years to come.  Empire Estate is a collaboration between Thomas Pastuszak, wine director of The Nomad Hotel in Manhattan and winemaker Kelby Russell. Crafted in a dry style, the majority of the fruit is sourced from vineyards around Seneca Lake - on the east side, there is more shale- and clay-rich sites in the area of Hector and Lodi, and on the west side, there are more gravel- and loam-rich sites near Dundee and Dresden. The wine was fermented in stainless steel.

Richter Zeppelin Riesling Mosel 2018          
Price: $20.25   Sale $17.82

The estate of Max Ferdinand Richter has been owned by the Richter family for more than 300 years. Today this enterprise, owned and run by winemaker Dirk Richter, is one of the leading producers of top Rieslings in the heart of the central Mosel area with total holdings of 43 acres and an annual production of about 10,500 cases. Richter produces fine wines that are well known throughout the world. They produce a wide variety of wines from estate-grown grapes that reflect the individual style of each single vineyard. The terroir of their steep vineyard sites is generally fresh weathering grey slate.

Landhaus Mayer Riesling Austria 2017       
Price: $21.00   Sale $18.48

Landhaus Mayer is a project with top Weinviertel wine growers and Gerhard Lobner. A native to the Weinviertal, and Managing Director of Mayer am Pfarrplatz, Gerhard focuses on prime locations in the Weinviertel, with the goal to captivate authenticity and typicity of both varietal and region. Fruit is sourced from small growers and integrating multiple soils (primary rock and löss), bringing a vibrancy and freshness into his wines.
Intense floral aromas of lilac with delicate apricot notes. Complex fruit extract with honeyed aromas and balanced, juicy extract with vibrant acidity and a nice, mineral finish.

Progress Wine Group

Domaine de Pallus Chinon Rose "Messanges" 2017
Price: $19.50   Sale $17.16

Sandy soils in the Valley and they ferment in concrete bottled last december, a very chalky mineral character to the nose white flowers.  A nice concentration of flavors with a peppery spice on the finish.  Finish 40+    Excellent

2018 Gamble Family Vineyards Napa Valley Rosé
Price: $26.00   Sale $22.88

Our Napa Valley Rosé is made with grapes selected from some of our favorite Napa Valley vineyards. The Napa Valley stretches far across many different soils and microclimates, and the combination of these diverse vineyard selections give this wine its rich character and complexity. At the heart of this wine is 66% Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon, complimented with 21% Napa Valley Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot.

A beautiful rosé that has inviting aromas of wild strawberry, Ranier cherry and tangerine zest as well as secondary notes of white peaches, Fuji apple & orange blossom. The palate showcases flavors of juicy, pink grapefruit and watermelon rind with subtle hints of white flowers & fresh rain. Refreshingly dry with bright acidity and a long, crisp finish.

2018 Bodegas Muga Rioja Rosado
Price: $19.50   Sale $17.16

A blend of; Garnacha 60%, Viura 30% and Tempranillo 10%.   After 12 hours maceration, the must ferments for 15-20 days in small wooden vats at 16-18ºC. We leave it on the fine lees for 3 months and work with them to enhance the wine’s sensory properties, especially on the palate. After this it undergoes cold stabilisation before filtering and bottling.  On the nose it is full of fruity nuances, very intense and complex, with reminders of stone fruit such as apricots and lactic, pastry-shop notes.  On the palate it proves a balanced wine with good length, perfectly combining its acidity and freshness.

Ovum Memorista Riesling 2017
Price: $32.75   Sale $28.82

Fermented and aged in our cement egg, 2014 Memorista holds the mysterious texture that is created over 9 months of convection lees aging.  The white gold color is misleading as the nose is of pungent blueberry, lime shrub, flint, and ocean air.  Raw can sugar hits the palate initially, but is immediately swept us in the crystalline acidity that gives that helps the wine finish dry.  This low alcohol Riesling is filled with the unexpected - refined sweetness, searing acidity, thick texture - everything we've come to expect from this basalt laden site in the Eola Amity Hills.

Stony Hill Vineyard White Riesling Napa Valley 2017
Price: $45.00   Sale $39.60

We first planted White Riesling in 1948 and much of our Riesling still comes from the fruit of these original vines. We make this wine off-dry, with a residual sugar content of one percent or below.
When young, the wine has appealing floral and fruity aromas and flavors. As it ages, it develops complexity and sophistication in the tradition of German Rieslings.

Von Hövel Riesling Trocken Mosel 2015
Price: $24.00   Sale $21.12

This vintage produced amazing wines with great aging potential. Max harvested very clean grapes over a five-week span. The wines are elegant and filigreed and they have a lot of body. This vintage will go down in history for the region because the wines are very balanced and simply outstanding!

Vranken Pommery Champagne

NV Pommery Rose Brut Champagne
Price: $55.50    Your Price: $48.84
(90 Points) Delicate acidity and a lightly creamy texture frame notes of dried cherry, white peach and smoke in this crisp rose. A hint of pastry lingers on the subtle finish. Drink now through 2015. 1,000 cases imported.  Wine Spectator Issue: Dec 15, 2012

NV Heidsieck Co Monopole Brut Rose Top Champagne
    List Price: $45.00    Your Price: $39.60
COLOUR : Bright, delicate pink. NOSE : Mixed berries: raspberry, black currant, wild strawberry… PALATE : An initial taste that is lively without aggression. A fresh wine balanced between the strength of Pinot Noir and the elegance of Chardonnay.

2017 La Chapelle Gordonne Rose Provence
Price: $21.50    Your Price: $18.92

Lychee-pink color, very pale and limpid. The nose has great finesse. Pink grapefruit and linden blossom notes reveal this wine’s very rich mineral quality in a poetic evocation of the sun rising over the Provence garrigue on a summer day. On the palate, the wine is ample and balanced around sensations of freshness, delicacy and sweetness. It is bursting with small fresh fruits such as the arbutus berries on the wooded hillsides of the schist terroir of the Château la Gordonne. The long, pleasant finish expresses the finesse and flavour of a wild strawberry sorbet.

*** We still have a lot of wines to add to the list for this one… We will have over 30 Roses and Rieslings on the table this evening!!

Menu
Macadamia Nut Crusted Goat Cheese Crostini finished with Apple-Onion Chutney
Chilled Shrimp & Scallop Ceviche with Mint, Mango & Strawberries
California Sushi Rolls with Pacific Salmon & pickled Ginger
Chicken Caesar Salad Mini Tacos
Warm Crab & Ricotta Tartlets

This is a walk around tasting in the Wine Watch Wine Cave and the fee for this tasting is $45 + tax for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.